By Robert Bridges
When men were all asleep the snow came flying,
In large white flakes falling on the city brown,
Stealthily and perpetually settling and loosely lying,
Hushing the latest traffic of the drowsy town;
Deadening, muffling, stifling its murmurs failing;
Lazily and incessantly floating down and down:
Silently sifting and veiling road, roof and railing;
Hiding difference, making unevenness even,
Into angles and crevices softly drifting and sailing.
All night it fell, and when full inches seven
It lay in the depth of its uncompacted lightness,
The clouds blew off from a high and frosty heaven;
And all woke earlier for the unaccustomed brightness
Of the winter dawning, the strange unheavenly glare:
The eye marvelled—marvelled at the dazzling whiteness;
The ear hearkened to the stillness of the solemn air;
No sound of wheel rumbling nor of foot falling,
And the busy morning cries came thin and spare.
Then boys I heard, as they went to school, calling,
They gathered up the crystal manna to freeze
Their tongues with tasting, their hands with snowballing;
Or rioted in a drift, plunging up to the knees;
Or peering up from under the white-mossed wonder,
"O look at the trees!" they cried, "O look at the trees!"
With lessened load a few carts creak and blunder,
Following along the white deserted way,
A country company long dispersed asunder:
When now already the sun, in pale display
Standing by Paul’s high dome, spread forth below
His sparkling beams, and awoke the stir of the day.
For now doors open, and war is waged with the snow;
And trains of sombre men, past tale of number,
Tread long brown paths, as toward their toil they go:
But even for them awhile no cares encumber
Their minds diverted; the daily word is unspoken,
The daily thoughts of labor and sorrow slumber
At the sight of the beauty that greets them, for the charm they have broken.
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On Christmas we slept late, hung out at home, were briefly visited by friends between their own Christmas celebrations, chatted with other friends online. Then we picked up my parents and went to see The Imitation Game. It was excellent -- by far the best of the many movies I've seen in the past couple of weeks, superb acting, terrific pacing, directing that didn't get in the way of the story. I can't believe I may have to join the legions rooting for a member of the young British cheekbone brigade to win an Oscar, but unless Selma blows me away, Cumberbatch and Redmayne would seem to be the best actor competition.
After the movie, our intention was to go out for Chinese food, but apparently the Jewish Christmas tradition was in full swing, plus plenty of people who'd been at home with family all day and decided to go out. So we stopped at three different restaurants, all of which were packed, before going home and ordering delivery online...except that although the restaurant sent a confirmation, they never sent the order to the kitchen and we didn't get food till after 9:30 p.m., leading to some extreme crankiness on the parts of some relatives. Now we're watching the Doctor Who Christmas special rerun since we were eating earlier!
One of Adam's presents from his girlfriend.
Myself and Adam teasing the cat while waiting for dinner.
My fortune -- let's hope it ends well!
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