Whiter Than Snow

'Twas on a winters afternoon dark and dreary
while bringin' in an arm a wood, tired and weary
When or'e my head a bird flew in and li'ted on
        a rafter cross from me.
He pruned his wing and cocked his head, to see
I was still standin' there tryin' not to stare,
at the prettiest sight I'd ever seen,
        a beautiful bird snow white and clean.

'twas really hard for me to comprehend why for
sure he flew in, and so I asked with tears
in my eyes, If he'd been to Texas or visited
there and then he looked at me with a
        knowing flair.

'twas a long ago look I'd seen once before
as I hugged him good-bye 'for I walked
out the door, His tall broad frame tho'
then stooped with age, could never be
        bent or trapped in no cage.

'twas then a feeling went thro' the garage
of another such evening in my memory took lodge
and I cried anew for sometime long past
of games that we played and feelings I knew
        even then that would last.

'twas a bond that I felt with this bird of snow
white that I'd had with my Great Granddad
on that night. And I truly did wonder and
always will in the still of a dreary winters
        eve of what bid him come,
                and what caused his leave.

(To Great Granddad)