Written in memory of sister IRENE JOHNSON BROADDUS
WHO WROTE THE FIRST LINE OF THIS POEM WHICH WAS NOT SAVED,
AND THESE WORDS WERE ALL THAT I COULD REMEMBER.
Maxine Johnson Bersch-Lovern

SNOWSTORM

Silently, softly, with gentle persistence the snow begins to fall,

And the angels forming the trillion flake blanket

Smile, as they cover the fields and all;

For it falls on the orchards and down on the meadows

And the house will soon be a picture of white!

Stark lines mark the sky where stand the tall trees,

Each twig outlined in an artist’s delight!

All are covered completely—a feast for the eye,

And the barn! Thank goodness the logs are huge!

Inside, it is warm; it is snug and dry,

The animals are finding a blessed refuge!

As the work of invisible Hands from the sky

Fill paths to the places we go,

To the cellar, the smokehouse, henhouse and barn,

All the brothers will be shoveling snow.

Still there’s taffy to pull and there’s cocoa to make,

There are chestnuts to roast in the fire.

There are stories to tell, there are games to be played,

Of the stories we never tire.

We beg for the giant tale;, the ghost tales that scare,

The Crazy Engineer of the Train,

Goblins that lurk, someone’s at work,

And moaning and groaning with pain.

We listen, we hear, the dragging chains near,

We shiver, we shake in dread,

While outside, in the snow-covered world, silence

Reigns supreme on its cold ground bed,

But by the fire, inside, there’s the sound of a household

Where happiness rules in full l sway.

Four girls and three boys!  A mother and dad,

And fun around the fire is the way!

Snow pure and white, what a wonderful treat,

A bowl of it is to the tongue!

With vanilla, sugar and cream we did eat,

Snow ice-cream we called it, when young.

My memories of sister IRENE flare up

And I write this to honor her name,

To finish the poem she wrote of the snow,

Which I lost, but never her fame!

My beloved sister she stays in my heart

My playmate, my teacher, my friend,

And from this place she will never depart

‘Ti Jesus brings this life to an end.

For in sixty years of the time we had

There were no cross words to mar

The sweet and precious sister- love

That was my guiding star.

No harsh or critical thing was said,

I wonder how it could be

That she was able to always say

Just what was right for me!

Well, now, today, I wanted to read

That poem describing the snow,

And I wanted so much to talk to her,

As we did so long ago.

I wanted to take a basket of apples

And go upstairs to bed,

And read the books and laugh and talk

About the things we had read.

I wanted to hear her funny remarks

And add my own to the chat,

We whiled in hours that way, you see,

And we always gave tit-for-tat!

I am shedding the tears as I write today

For sister-love cannot be lost,

Enduring and reaching to heaven it is,

Never counting the cost.

I am in need of it today

To give me zip and zing!

I need Irene to make me laugh

And make me want to sing!

There are millions of stars as the old verse said

And flowers in the purple clover,

But another Irene cannot be found

In all the wide world over.

And thank the Lord I am nearer now

Than I’ve ever been before,

Nearer the Father’s house

Nearer that open door!

Thank the Lord for the time he gives

To finish the work He assigned,

And thank the Lord for strength to write,

And thanks for a healthy mind.

And thanks again for the thoughts on snow!

For thoughts of home and kin,

Forever in our hearts to bring

The beautiful memories in.

And give a color to my words,

To paint the snowy scene

That you have given me today

As a message from sister  IRENE!