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Likestarlings is a place for talking in poems. We pair poets with poets and they write a sequence of six new works by responding in turn to one another. Our palaver blog goes beyond poetry to discuss collaboration in theory and in practice. Please take a look, and feel free to add comments, opinions and suggestions here. Read poems here
 

Snow beauties

Found poem from the works of Wilson ‘Snowflake’ Bentley 1865-1931 a Vermont farmer who took the first photograph of a single snowflake


Every crystal was a masterpiece of design
and not one was ever repeated.
When a snowflake melted,
that design was forever lost.
Just that much beauty was gone,
without leaving any record behind.

What magic is there in the rule of six
that compels the snowflake
to conform so rigidly to its laws?
Six rays or parts, there always are
yet what an amazing variety
these parts exhibit among themselves.

I have been studying it all these years,
it has brought things that were new
and beautiful to my hand.
I have never yet found a time
when I could ever entertain
an idea of relinquishing it.

Sixteen hundred photo-micrographs
of snow crystals alone, and no two are alike.
It is all most marvelous and mysterious
these changing habits of growth,
the perfect symmetrical way
all this is accomplished.

Bits of pure beauty from the skies
will soon come into their own.