Snowfall

By Steven C. Walker

Snowflakes sift the air with a quietness

That makes falling seem suspension—

Barely there, hardly visible

Even when obscuring solid landscape,

Too fragile to be felt save by tonguetip

And then only by dozens;

Crystals ten times more delicate than dew,

Subtle silent almost as spirit or sin.

It’s hard to imagine how

One inch of snowfall over a single acre

Can weigh eleven tons.