A Distant Joyful Choir ©Daniel K. Statnekov 1988 Cold winter breathes its hoar frost breath Across the stubble fields Where deer eat wind-fall apples And prepare for lessor meals The fast cold stream its edge of ice A brittle piece of glass Foretells the time when freeze will hold It still as it runs past And creakin' limbs of old oak trees Just swayin' in the breeze Sing spirit songs that call out loud While waitin' for new leaves Warm mem'ry of that first snow fall The silent quiet kind Returns to light my inner eye And sooth the tired mind Big soft white flakes I recollect Were magic nothing less Just driftin' down, so slow it seemed T'were headed for a rest And bells were heard from horse-drawn sleighs Sweet laughter clear and pure Rang out across the countryside A cheerful sound for sure Black boots and mittens, scarves and skates Mud-room filled up with gear The tell-tale sign of carefree days And fun from yesteryear Long icicles that hung from eaves Made real dream castle spires While tall Fir trees bent low with snow Before men talked with wires My heart remembers family friends So many sights and sounds Thanksgiving day and Christmas eve All blessings I have found Those kitchen smells of warm baked goods And chestnuts on the fire Is mixed somehow with times gone by A distant joyful choir.