Snow fell today and cleansed the ground, in a shroud of white. As quickly as the snow came it disappeared. As quickly as the ground was made clean it was dirtied by the living. Dirt, fumes and car tracks sullied the linen white earth. Nothing stayed today, not the snow, not the footprints, not the cold wind blown faces of children. Nothing good can stay. But, for an hour the ground and day became pristine. A cold, weak sun shone on the glittering snow Like the first winter snowdrops promising a spring, weak winter sun promised better days. Snowdrops the striking bloom of the winter months, lifted up their delicate heads in a blanket of blue white drops. So, snow fell like spilt milk, and snow melted away. But, the snowdrops ‘milk flower of the snow’ stayed.