A Gloomy Day

A dreary snow is this
That stretches far and wide,
And chills the earth and air
Through all the countryside.

The sky has lost its blue,
And dismal hangs and dum,
And lowers, low and near,
And grimly hides the sun.

The withered fringe of grass
That stands above the snow
Sways silently when touched
By winds that coldly blow.

There stands by yonder hedge
A horse with drooping ears;
And, browsing by a stack,
A shivering cow appears.

A bird swoops near to earth,
A black ill-omened crow.
And "caws" upon the scene,
As though to curse the snow.

Ah, 'tis a dreary day,
Oh, 'tis a dolesome view;
And my sad soul is chilled,
And cheerless through and through.

^___John Edward Everett