Imagine the Possibilities

I used to be a crafter. I sewed, embroidered, knitted, crocheted, cross-stitched, and more. On my first Christmas as a married lady I made a yarn angel for our tree. Her wings were corn husks gathered on the farm where we lived, and her halo and skirt were netting from my wedding veil. And so began a tradition of hand-crafting a special ornament to celebrate each year of my marriage. Over time, I’ve begun to purchase some of the ornaments, but I always try to add something to make it more personal. Touching each ornament as I lift it out of the box brings back so many memories. It’s my most favorite Christmas tradition. I used to dream of having a tree decorated with just these special ornaments. I’m just about there.

Ornaments

On the tree I see
a yarn angel with corn husk wings,
a brown corduroy teddy bear,
a beaded crystal star,
ribbon remnants from a glass bell (shattered when it fell),
a tiny treble clef tucked in a grapevine wreath,
a macramé star,
a pewter dog paw.
Each has a story to tell.
Each celebrates
a milestone,
a memory,
a lifetime of love.
One for every year—
now forty-four and counting.

May you all make warm memories this holiday season.

Thanksgiving was just a week ago, but already it’s become a fond memory. Since we were able to celebrate with family this year, the holiday took on a special kind of gratitude. I wanted it to linger a bit longer since my grandkids were visiting, but Thanksgiving has a way of quickly ushering in the hustle and bustle of Christmas and all the other celebrations of light and love around the world.

We live on a busy street that has a different vibe depending on the day or time. School buses, cars carrying commuters, delivery trucks, and fire engines all travel down our road. But on the weekend after Thanksgiving, there is no mistake that Christmas is coming. There’s something about freshly cut Christmas trees on car roofs that brings me joy and happy memories.

A Caravan of Trees

After Thanksgiving I start to see
a caravan of Christmas trees.
Perfectly picked or freshly cut,
secured on car roofs,
bundled with care.
Will they have lights
or strands of gold?
Perhaps they’ll be topped
with a shining star.
A season of peace and hope begins
with a caravan of trees.

May you all have a special season of peace and joy and love. Be sure to stop by today’s Poetry Roundup where Michelle Kogan is celebrating with words and her beautiful art.

Earlier this week I was doing some research for a project I’m working on when I came across an article by Ferris Jabr reprinted in Smithsonian Magazine (June 21, 2017) titled “How Moonlight Sets Nature’s Rhythms.” The information was fascinating, but it was the words, the lovely language, that caused me to pause and take notice.

I saved the article and went back to it later, pulling out words and phrases from the first few paragraphs, irresistible in their images, rhythms, and sounds, to create a found poem. I didn’t follow the rules exactly. I took liberty to rearrange the order certain phrases appeared in the poem. The result was that, unlike the original article, you won’t find information about coral reproduction in my poem, but you will, hopefully, feel a sense of the beauty.

In the Great Barrier Reef
(a found poem)

drenched in moonlight
parcels wait
in the lips of coral
round buoyant bundles
as small as peppercorns
blushed in shades
of pink
orange
yellow—
coral confetti

Poetry is everywhere! For more wonderful words, head over to A(nother) Year of Reading where Mary Lee has today’s roundup.