Snow Day Poem by Billy Collins

Snow Day

Rating: 4.0


Today we woke up to a revolution of snow,
its white flag waving over everything,
the landscape vanished,
not a single mouse to punctuate the blankness,
and beyond these windows

the government buildings smothered,
schools and libraries buried, the post office lost
under the noiseless drift,
the paths of trains softly blocked,
the world fallen under this falling.

In a while I will put on some boots
and step out like someone walking in water,
and the dog will porpoise through the drifts,
and I will shake a laden branch,
sending a cold shower down on us both.

But for now I am a willing prisoner in this house,
a sympathizer with the anarchic cause of snow.
I will make a pot of tea
and listen to the plastic radio on the counter,
as glad as anyone to hear the news

that the Kiddie Corner School is closed,
the Ding-Dong School, closed,
the All Aboard Children's School, closed,
the Hi-Ho Nursery School, closed,
along with - some will be delighted to hear -

the Toadstool School, the Little School,
Little Sparrows Nursery School,
Little Stars Pre-School, Peas-and-Carrots Day School,
the Tom Thumb Child Center, all closed,
and - clap your hands - the Peanuts Play School.

So this is where the children hide all day,
These are the nests where they letter and draw,
where they put on their bright miniature jackets,
all darting and climbing and sliding,
all but the few girls whispering by the fence.

And now I am listening hard
in the grandiose silence of the snow,
trying to hear what those three girls are plotting,
what riot is afoot,
which small queen is about to be brought down.

Snow Day
Monday, January 13, 2003
Topic(s) of this poem: snow
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Owain Jones 20 January 2013

This poem reminds me of Dylan Thomas

7 15 Reply
Gangadharan Nair Pulingat 29 January 2015

Marvelous imaginations of the great poet.

8 6 Reply
Joseph Pedulla 15 December 2017

If it's a snow day, why are the kids pictured as being at school?

2 3 Reply
Dr Dillip K Swain 25 June 2020

A delightful piece of poetry! Enjoyed the beauty of poetic expression...10

1 1 Reply
Mahtab Bangalee 25 June 2020

Snow Arrested all kingdom of heart All walking pavements All flying sky of poetic minds Oh snow The intruder On wandering lane of wise pen.....

0 2 Reply
Mr. Kang 13 December 2021

get off

1 1 Reply
Mr. Kang 13 December 2021

Get off

1 1 Reply
MR.KANG 13 December 2021

GET OFFFFF! ! ! ! ! !

1 1 Reply
connor 02 November 2020

good job great poem or something idk

1 1 Reply
Michael Walker 25 June 2020

What a boring way to spend a snowy day inside.

1 2 Reply
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