Mostly White-Out Outside

He had a gift for getting
Snowed on in Arizona—
The North Rim in near blizzard,

Twice, neither time in winter,
Once in autumn, once in spring—
Alpine in a Christmas snow

Was predictable enough,
But somehow even in Page
As megadrought shrunk Powell—

Driving snow, while his daughter
Sat in the front seat, reading
Through wild white fogs of story,

Oblivious to real storm,
Tales of a hollow robot,
Enchanted hunk of metal,

Hero to an elfin girl
In some alternative world,
Prone to clanking doggerel.