sunshine with partial cloudiness on the day before christmas

Photo: theguardian.com

sunshine with partial cloudiness
on the day before christmas

i.
sun,
you stop me cold,
lost in a fog
of steam, thoughts
and ruminations.
you peek through
the shower glass,
enlighten a droplet
of water, burst colors—
prisms to interrupt
my distractions.

ii.
in a bubble forming
on my forearm, you capture
my attention again,
force me
to the present moment.
i notice play
of spray on my bare skin,
hear the colors of music.

iii.
through almost-closed blinds,
your light slows
in song
to praise,
to dissipate dark clouds,
naked tree branches.

vi.
is this how it was
for shepherds grazing
their flocks that night?
for kings searching
to grasp mysteries?
for us common folk
who muddle through life,
grapple with violence?

v.
the feather of a cedar
waxwing, snags on the
tree outside my window
flutters in the breeze.
i can’t see wind,
only discern its presence
by its effect on something
tangible.
children die,
but love shines through
if you look for it.

v.
yesterday in k-mart,
at the layaway counter
an older couple paid
down the debt of shoppers
who were delinquent,
scanning accounts that had
children’s toys. a younger
man, bearing no resemblance
whatsoever to Santa,
dropped $300 in cash
on the counter. “add this
to whatever they do.”

vi.
so, where is the Sun?
So, where is the Son?

Photo: thedailyreview.com

This poem was originally published in my first poetry collection,Jacaranda Rain, Collected Poems, 2012. Many wishes for a Merry Christmas to all my poet friends. Whether you see Christmas as a sacred truth or myth, the message of light, peace, giving and joy is for all. Celebrate!

Photo: D. Slotto–Zoe and Sparky study their present!