I Stopped to View a Valley

BY DR. AGONSON

I stopped to view a valley
and pausing, gazed below,
gazed deep in winter’s valley,
into the bright white snow.

A distant deer there climbing,
a lonely doe appeared,
and up the banks was climbing
until it disappeared.

It wandered through the branches,
and walked out of my sight,
leaving but shaking branches
there shaking off their white.

The bare branches rose higher,
like shadows, dark, they rose.
The naked limbs stood higher,
now freed from winter’s clothes.