Snowfall in Early December

Starting at 4:30 p.m. the view
through the lens of a camera
is stark: pureblackandwhite;

snow white, roads and bushes black;
as if there had never been sun,
as if blackandwhitemixedwerenatural,

as if there hadneverbeenasummer;
and the calendar wouldneverreachJune,
and today was ourlastdaytobealive;

so Christmas lights wouldnevercomeon,
the carols werememberaschildren
wouldnotbesung:

blackandwhiteonlymixeduptogether:
blackandwhiteasone
without any noticeable graying.