Bewilderingly, from wildly shaken cloud, <br />Invisible hands, deft moving everywhere, <br />Have woven a winding sheet of velvet air, <br />And laid the dead earth in her downy shroud. <br />And more and more, in white confusion, crowd <br />Wan, whirling flakes, while o'er the icy glare <br />Blue heaven that was glooms blackening o'er the bare <br />Tree skeletons, to ruthless tempest bowed. <br /> <br />Nay, let the outer world be winter-locked; <br />Beside the hearth of glowing memories <br />I warm my life. Once more our boat is rocked, <br />As on a cradle by the palm-fringed Nile; <br />And, sharp-cut silhouettes, in single file, <br />Lank camels lounge against transparent skies.<br /><br />Mathilde Blind<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/internal-firesides/
