In the Wintertime

 In the wintertime we go

Walking in the fields of snow

Where there is no grass at all;

Where the top of every wall,

Every fence and every tree,

Is as white as white can be...

Excerpted from White Fields by James Stephens

When walking in snow, I think of the above poem. My first grade teacher recited it once while having the class bang on pots with spoons to the rhythm of the verse. I admit that sometimes it feels like a curse that I can't forget that. Other things I think of on snowy days are foxes and hawks. The snow seems to draw them out. So I wasn’t surprised to see both creatures today. Early in my walk I spotted a red-tailed hawk; later when I was returning to my car I saw a fox. All this made my winter walk feel complete.