With winter approaching,
she wanted
to encourage
a festive mood.
The librarian hung
from the ceiling
of the town library
white plastic
silver-glittered
snowflakes.

Several weeks passed
before the first
snowfall
of the season.
Everyone was ready
for snow.

The snowflakes
on the ceiling
had prepared them
for the magical feeling
of waking up
with a blanket of snow
covering the town.

Winter events
happened as usual.
Adults complained
about shoveling
their driveways.
Children hoped
for snow days
so they could skate
on the library's pond
and go sledding
on the library's hill.

But everyone
still came
to the library.

Every time they came,
adults complimented
the librarian
on the snowflakes
hanging from the ceiling.

Children read
books about winter
that the librarian
had put out
in the Children's Room.

Winter passed
with the passing
of months.

The ice
on the pond
and the snow
on the hillside
began to melt.
Crocuses poked
their heads up
out of the snow
and spread
their petals wide.

And the snowflakes
remained.

Adults stopped
complimenting
the librarian
on the snowflakes.

Soon the snow
finished melting
and daffodils and tulips
bloomed.
Spring came
to the town.

But the snowflakes
remained.

Some people
asked the librarian
if she was going to
take down
the snowflakes.

She would smile
and walk away
between
the bookshelves.

And the snowflakes
remained.

Spring passed
into summer.
School ended
and summer vacation
began in the town.

But the snowflakes
remained.

Children still came
to the library,
but they did not
read books about winter.
Now they read
about swimming
and biking.

Too soon for the children,
summer was over.
School began again.

Autumn came
and the leaves
on the trees
changed colors.
Children collected
the leaves
and made collages.
The librarian
hung the collages
on the walls
of the library.

But the snowflakes
remained.

Now the children
wanted books
that would tell then
why the leaves turned
and how bears
know how
to hibernate.

Then winter arrived,
and brought snow
with the cold.
Adults complained
about shoveling.
Children wished
for snow days
and went skating
and sledding.
They read books
about winter.

Everyone complimented
the librarian
about the snowflakes
hanging from the ceiling.

And the snowflakes
remained.