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View Near Elizabethtown, N.J., 1847, by Régis François Gignoux
Morning Skaters
by Preeth Ganapathy
The sunrays peer from the edge of clouds.
The leafless trees stand firm & tall
under the dense coat of white.
The guard paces up and down
the frozen lake-banks
thinking of firewood and Christmas.
The fisherman bides his time on his snow-powdered boat,
waiting for the fishes to reappear.
The snowflakes lullaby the little wooden cabin,
the slanting bridge, the holiday cottage,
to a fitful sleep only to be awakened by the morning skaters.
The fisherman stops brooding, the guard watches.
‘The waters are no longer cold,’ one of them shouts
with glee. ‘Getting in is easier now,’
screams another with joy. ‘The lake is a vast
skating rink,’ laughs a third
and tumbles down, his hat toppling over.
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