Watermarked and cropped version of Joe Hills amid the snow-covered, custom mangrove and birch trees of his season 9 Hermitcraft build, Elvira's House of Winters, prompting the audience for poetry titled 'Untrodden Snow'

Untrodden Snow

A Poetry Prompt from @JoeHills
written by Daniel Powell

When I was a child, the snow would fall
all pure and deep and white.
We'd keep it just so, unblemished and bright,
only prints of deer and rabbits and animals so small.
Who knows how far down we would sink?
The knees? The ankles? Just the soles of our feet?
Later our dad would push it up deep
And we'd join in to slide and throw and shriek.
Now I live alone in a suburb of a small city.
The snow never falls so deep.
And before I get up, whether weekday or end
Some guy with his 4-wheeler that's fit with a shovel
will scrape up the sidewalk and put forth a struggle
and rid the street of that nasty, slick trouble
before I can see it like when we were kiddies.

And because I’m actually quite proud of this one, here’s a half-baked proof of authorship:
Text
PGP Signature
(Public Key F044CAEF)

Comments

One response to “Untrodden Snow”

  1. Doug Powell Avatar

    Asked Claude.ai to summarize:

    “The poem reflects fondly on childhood memories of experiencing fresh, unspoiled snowfalls. As children, the speaker and their companions were able to enjoy the snow in its pure, pristine state before it was disturbed; they would sink into the soft, deep layers of snow and leave only small animal tracks. The imagery creates a magical, whimsical scene of children frolicking freely in the snow.

    In contrast, the speaker’s current experience with snow in adulthood is much more mundane. Living in a suburb, the snowfalls are not as deep anymore. And before the speaker even wakes up, the snow is efficiently cleared away by a snowplow. The childlike wonder and opportunity for play have been lost.

    The poem seems to evoke a sense of longing for the simplicity and joy of childhood compared to the routine and constraints of adult life. The immaculate childhood snow represents innocence, imagination and freedom, while the quickly shoveled snow of adulthood reflects how pragmatism and responsibilities can diminish our capacity for awe and spontaneous delight.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *