"The Boy at the Window" - Richard Wilbur (1952)

This is another of my favorite poems. The stark imagery of the outdoors; as endured by the Snowman; juxtaposed against the warmth and love which the boy experiences indoors; breaks my heart each time I read it.

And the sympathy of the snowman as he melts is truly amazing. Being born to die he has no fears at all, while the boy remains trapped, fearing the loss of the things which he only thinks he possesses; but which in reality possess him. (Photo of Sue and her snowman in 2017.)

"The Boy at the Window" - Richard Wilbur

Seeing the snowman standing all alone
In dusk and cold is more than he can bear.
The small boy weeps to hear the wind prepare
A night of gnashings and enormous moan.

His tearful sight can hardly reach to where
The pale faced figure with bitumen eyes
Returns him such a godforsaken stare
As outcast Adam gave to Paradise.

The man of snow is, nonetheless, content
Having no wish to go inside and die.
Still, he is moved to
see the youngster cry.

Though water is his element,
He melts enough to drop from one soft eye
A trickle of the purest rain, a tear
For the child at the bright pane surrounded by
Such warmth, such light, such love,
and so much fear.

"The Snow Man" - (1932)

With much of the country in the icy grips of late winter storms I thought a cartoon about snow would be appropriate. So, I picked one which shows bad weather to be all that it is, and yet offers some hope for a reprieve from the onslaught.

I have no real information to share about this cartoon; the credits at the beginning have been cut short, so I can't even tell you what studio produced it. But it is good enough to stand on it's own merit.

Apparently the evil Snowman arrives right around Christmas; kind of like the Grinch; and makes everybody miserable. That's just what he does; it's his "thing."

But soon his victims grow tired and one of them fast forwards the wintry season through the use of what appears to be a seasonal adjuster, bringing on a new spring. And, just like the Wicked Witch of the West in "Wizard of Oz", he melts away and the world goes back to a warm and friendly place once again.

So, take heart. This won't last forever.

"The Boy At the Window" by Richard Wilbur

Seeing the snowman standing all alone
In dusk and cold is more than he can bear.
The small boy weeps to hear the wind prepare
A night of gnashings and enormous moan.
His tearful sight can hardly reach to where
The pale faced figure with bitumen eyes
Returns him such a godforsaken stare
As outcast Adam gave to Paradise.

The man of snow is, nonetheless, content
Having no wish to go inside and die.
Still, he is moved to see the youngster cry.
Though water is his element,
He melts enough to drop from one soft eye
A trickle of the purest rain, a tear
For the child at the bright pane surrounded by
Such warmth, such light, such love, and so much fear.

Richard Wilbur-1952