While you folks 'back east' are having more than your fair share of wintery weather, it has been somewhat mild here in northern Idaho thus far with quite a bit of much needed rain. The winter of 1968-69 was much different though and the old timers still talk about that epic winter. I turned 11 years old that January and have vivid memories of the cold and snow. I wrote this little poem (albeit somewhat tongue in cheek) to commemorate that event.

After the Blizzard

The snows came early in '68
They piled up deep, and spring came late
We thought the snows would never end
At last they did, then came the wind

It shrieked and howled throughout the night
The lights went out, 'twas quite a fright
And when at last there came the dawn
The raging wind was finally gone

But in its place a bitter chill
Came creeping through the window sills
When sun at last gave morning light
The mercury was out of sight

The frost grew thick on window panes
We scraped it off, it grew again
The icy windows seemed to say
You may get warm, but not today

But nature's call we all must heed
And hastened now by dire need
I stepped into my heavy clothes
Then out into the landscape froze

The path was drifted nearly shut
That led out to that little hut
The piles of snow would give me grief
Before I finally found relief

I kicked the snow out from the door
Then stepped onto the outhouse floor
I looked with horror at the seat
My scrawny derriere must meet

The frost was several inches thick
I tried to scrape it with a stick
But nature's call was urgent now
I had to sit there anyhow

Through glasses covered now with fog
I finally spied the catalog
Lying there beside the door
Its pages frozen to the floor

With fingers numb I tore some pages
Then crumpled them for what seemed ages
I cannot make the homeward run
Until the paperwork is done

At last when I could take no more
I started to head out the door
While pulling down my stocking hat
'Twas then I finally saw the cat

Lying by the outhouse door
I hadn't seen him just before
In the snowdrift lying there
The ice was frozen on his hair

I figgered he's a goner sure
But then I thought I heard him purr
I picked him up and held him nigh
And saw him slowly blink an eye

Then stumbling through drifted snow
Back to the house then I did go
My family all did gather 'round
To gaze upon what I had found

My Grandma said "Go get some gas,
Quickly now, go hurry fast!"
She wrapped him in an old wool coat
Then poured some gas right down his throat

The cat stood up, to our surprise
Then stretched and slowly blinked his eyes
He started walking round the room
Then like a shot, away he zoomed!

Across the couch and easy chair
It didn't matter who was there
He ran across our laps and then
He ran around the room again

He made a dozen laps around
The living room, and then laid down
Beside the heating stove at last
Poor kitty ran plumb out of gas

For Tracy
Joseph W. Smith
10/31/2019