The Ways of Winter

And the tall pine trees shivered
As the freezing wind blew through
And the swollen, rushing rivers
Held their courses straight and true
And the lumberjack leaned on his log
And watched as though he knew
The ways of winter

And the clear blue sky was covered
By a layer of fleecy cloud
And the snow fell through the trees
Like a falling mourning shroud
And the wind up in the conifers exalted clear and loud
The ways of winter

And the snow was falling thick
And the forest, it was dead
He turned his face up to the shy
And slowly shook his head
The sun shone through the falling snow
A dull and fiery red
That day in winter

And the logger threw his axe
Across his broad snow-covered back
And he wandered through the pines
Down the steep and twisting track
And he knew that though his axe be sharp
He never could attack
The ways of winter