Every winter day this boy ambles slowly past his sissy trailing close behind wearing boots with small bright flowers round the corner they come from school down the cul-de-sac avenue while Shanahan sits oddly mute in this a future Dalai Lama packing a snowball he shapes with his small lemon hands into flawless sphere of cold ivory smooth unexpected perfection a gift needed in gray, imperfect times, his presence graces our days.