--- title: A Snowball Grows date: 2021-01-29 tags: - poetry --- White falls from the sky \ onto a mountain \ and so a snowball grows. White falls from the sky \ on the village beside \ but the snow is shoveled aside. \ People laugh and they play, \ pushing problems away \ as the snowball grows. The white comes down heavier \ and the villagers cheer \ but the mayor sees the danger. \ He travels around \ telling the town \ as the snowball grows. "It's just a snowball," one person says \ as they stare at their screen. \ "We'll take care of it later," another suggests, \ the paperwork beside them untouched. \ "It's not going to hit us," asserts a third \ as they walk into their door. \ "That's a fake snowball," somebody claims \ as they wear their red cap. \ "That's too much work," the last person scoffs \ in his house barren of items. And so the snowball grows. One day the sun rises \ but the snowball \ blocks its light \ and its shadow \ looms over \ the village. Panic erupts — \ the villagers scramble \ up to the mountain \ to hack away at the snowball. The white comes down faster — \ the villagers pray \ but the snowball \ continues to grow. Finally — \ the snowball is freed. One house is crushed. \ A sigh of relief, \ and everyone return \ to help rebuild the house. The next year: \ white falls from the sky \ onto a mountain \ and so a snowball grows.