By JANICE THAIN

January's very nice
If you like snow,
If you like ice,

And frost upon the window panes
And skiddy streets and snowy lanes,

And walking to school‑with ruddy cheeks­
Through snowy drifts in boots that leak,

Or waiting on corners in zero degrees
For pokey buses that come when they please.

In January it's fun to drive
At  ten miles an hour to stay alive;

And if you're clever, you can acquire
A frozen motor or a snowbound tire.

Unless the sun comes out to play,
The sky remains a leaden gray

Occasionally giving way to storms
Of snowflakes in their various forms;

Yes, January's very nice
If you like snow
And lots of ice.
held in the middle of March.