The snow arrived at the mountain peaks
overnight, stopped there,
melted by noon
Old timers called it a dusting,
the last of winter
By four in the fearsome afternoon
the snow soldiers,
shields of sleet in formation,
marched in a line into the valley
conquering meadows, pines and aspens,
crackling branches, penetrating rooftops,
overran the next valley, camped until morning,
left four men mummified in a drift
State troopers blocked the highways
Wood burning stoves knuckled the low clouds
with heavy fists of char
The furious snow moved relentlessly forward
until white took all
The rancher leaning on a pine pole fence
barricaded for days as a boy
in a smoky cabin behind spears of ice
recollects the storm struck
the spring before the summer
he learned to ride horses