Poem for Friday and Forget-Me-Not Factory

The Snow Fairy
By Claude McKay

I

Throughout the afternoon I watched them there,
Snow-fairies falling, falling from the sky,
Whirling fantastic in the misty air,
Contending fierce for space supremacy.
And they flew down a mightier force at night,
As though in heaven there was revolt and riot,
And they, frail things had taken panic flight
Down to the calm earth seeking peace and quiet.
I went to bed and rose at early dawn
To see them huddled together in a heap,
Each merged into the other upon the lawn,
Worn out by the sharp struggle, fast asleep.
The sun shone brightly on them half the day,
By night they stealthily had stol'n away.

II

And suddenly my thoughts then turned to you
Who came to me upon a winter's night,
When snow-sprites round my attic window flew,
Your hair disheveled, eyes aglow with light.
My heart was like the weather when you came,
The wanton winds were blowing loud and long;
But you, with joy and passion all aflame,
You danced and sang a lilting summer song.
I made room for you in my little bed,
Took covers from the closet fresh and warm,
A downful pillow for your scented head,
And lay down with you resting in my arm.
You went with Dawn. You left me ere the day,
The lonely actor of a dreamy play.

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I made the mistake of reading the news on Thursday after avoiding it on Wednesday so I was angry and cranky and generally not fun to be around. To get myself in a better state of mind for Imbolc, I lit candles while I worked and took a walk in the park and put together my LEGO Superheroes Mighty Micros Thor and Loki because that seemed like a much better lunchtime activity than reading any more news.

Maddy worked most of the day and is staying with a friend overnight, so I didn't see her much. We watched a Maigret episode in the evening and some Bones. Here is one of my happy places, the Forget-Me-Not Factory in Ellicott City, which specializes in fairies, mermaids, iridescent bubbles, all-year Halloween and Christmas, trains, Tarot, and handmade decoupage boxes with pirates, princesses, and butterflies: