Explore "A Brave Refrain" by James Whitcomb Riley on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
When snow is here, and the trees look weird, / And the knuckled twigs are gloved with frost; / When the breath congeals in the drover's beard, / And the old pathway to the barn is lost; / When the rooster's crow is sad to hear, / And the stamp of the stabled horse is vain, / And the tone of the cow-bell grieves the ear -- / O then is the time for a brave refrain!
When the gears hang stiff on the harness-peg, / And the tallow gleams in frozen streaks; / And the old hen stands on a lonesome leg, / And the pump sounds hoarse and the handle squeaks; / When the woodpile lies in a shrouded heap, / And the frost is scratched from the window-pane / And anxious eyes from the inside peep -- / O then is the time for a brave refrain!