Ah winter, your vaul­ted roofs are sandstone
And your halls are chill. Your cor­ridors echo
with a lone brown oak leaf and the south wind.
On the steps, a philo­sopher dreams civilization,
Smoke curl­ing around his fantas­ies. Winter,
You are a proud ancient thing, settled
In your lawns, your gothic windows,
Your learn­ing denuded as the trees,
Stark and knowing.