December 26

Dawn turned on her purple pillow
    And late, late came the winter day,
Snow was curved to the boughs of the willow.
    The sunless world was white and grey.

At noon we heard a blue-jay scolding,
    At five the last thin light was lost
From snow-banked windows faintly holding
    The feathery filigree of frost.




A December Day, by Sara Teasdale



Tracks is the snow reveal that there are indeed snowshoe hares about, and that a coyote has been coming quite close to the house in pursuit of them.