Tag Archives: Christmas

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Beginnings and Endings

 

BbeginningsBeginnings and Endings

The day before Christmas, the lifeless body of a robin
lay, supine, among clods of frozen dirt
in the bare, raised bed of our vegetable garden.

His breast, striated with not-quite crimson plumage—
plump, yet breathless, lay still, where only weeks ago
plump crimson tomatoes prospered, awaited harvesting.

I cradled his body in my hand, resting in the folds
of a plastic bag that, just yesterday, held apples,
tied it tight before consigning it to a barrel caching autumn leaves.

That night we sipped champagne, feted birth,
celebrated promises fulfilled again each day,
awaited the coming of light that would dispel the darkness.

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sunshine with partial cloudiness on the day before christmas

theguardian

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

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

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

 

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SALVATION Army–Monday Meanderings

Photo Credit: Deviant Art

Photo Credit: Deviant Art

In the background,
he strips thyme and rosemary from their stems,
into a stainless steel bowl.
The scent of herbs, apple pie and ginger
pervades the family room
where

he watches war unfold on A&E.
An enemy’s blood splatters the screen.
I block out the noise of contradiction,
search for words of love and peace
to celebrate the season in verse.

Music sounds an ending.
I raise my head to witness
a good guy die.
No winners here.

A fire dances in the hearth,
then Mozart fills the room.

Will it be in music
that hope will enclose our battered world?
Will winter snow
cover scorched land, satisfy sere hearts?
Will love supplant bullets,
peace settle in the crevices of wounds?

Bells ring at the entrances of a local Walmart
beneath winter solstice sun.

Photo Credit: Sacramento Bee

Photo Credit: Sacramento Bee

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The Challenge of Light

The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned.

Photo: sultanknish.com

Photo: sultanknish.com

 

The Challenge of Light

i.

advent is not about the coming

of a sweet baby.

it is not about sentimental,

trumped-up emotion.

advent challenges us

to an adult acceptance

of the kingdom of god,

to social imperatives,

to self-forgetfulness,

to letting go,

to a deliberate emptiness.

ii.

we like to make the Christ

into a perpetual baby.

we can cuddle a baby,

a baby asks nothing of us.

the Christ is so much more demanding.

iii.

advent doesn’t just happen

the four weeks leading up to Christmas.

our lives our one huge advent.

our lives are about bringing light

into this dark world.

iv.

in advent and winter we wait for light.

do we forget it’s up to us

to be light in the darkness

of a world that is

confused

stumbling

blinded

afraid?

v.

it’s easy to get hung up

in religion,

in practice,

in institutional think.

it’s easy to feel complacent

because we go to church,

because we give money.

the litmus test

is giving of ourselves,

is embracing mystery.

advent is not just a passive waiting.

it allows that we are responsible

to be light-bearers.

Most of these thoughts come from a small meditation book: Preparing for Christmas by Richard Rohr. I find them unsettling, preachy, even disturbing–I suppose because Rohr has hit that sore spot that challenges those of us who are Christian to really look at what Jesus asks of us in the Gospels. I hope there will be a message for all to hear…no matter what your own personal beliefs.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and many good things in 2014.

Photo: V. Slotto

Photo: V. Slotto

 

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Presents–dVerse Poetics

Photo: D. Slotto

Photo: D. Slotto

i.

sometimes you strain to garner magic
that supposed-to-be-moment
of days set aside to remind
us of this or that but snug
within your core of pretend-this-is-special
simmers a memory, an understanding
that this frou-frou feeling
inauthentic grasping of what-used-to-be
stands for something more.

ii.
down the street at the end of the cul-de-sac
an old woman lives alone
a mostly dark house with tight-closed
shutters and peeling paint
shielded from neighbors’ bright-light-christmas
oh-so-white reindeer on the lawn
rearranged by kids one block over
humping.

iii.
wrapping paper
bows
presents
neglected now in disarray

iv.
in the kitchen an argument ensues
it’s too early to put the turkey
in the oven remember last year
how dry it was

v.
from the den loud snores
emanate
uncle jack drank too much again
same as always

vi.
in here
alone
my thoughts prowl meaning
sun pours through the half-moon
window above the door
that later in the day
will welcome others
we haven’t seen or spoken to
in months

vii.
my dogs relax
cuddled at my side
backlit by rays
content and cared-for
knowing we are present

viii.
i get it then
that’s what today is all about

Linked to dVerse Poetics, so ably hosted by the talented Karin Gustafsen. We are invited to think of presents/presence. I had this poem, which may have been previously posted, that works! BTW, keep in mind…I am a FICTION writer. This is a fictional attempt to encapsulate a truth. I am a die-hard celebrator of Christmas, not the commercialism so much as the Presence, the underlying meaning, the magic and the memories. Merry Christmas–Happy Holidays to you all.

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Presents

i.
sometimes you strain to garner magic
that supposed-to-be-moment
of days set aside to remind
us of this or that but snug
within your core of pretend-this-is-special
simmers a memory, an understanding
that this frou-frou feeling
inauthentic grasping of what-used-to-be
stands for something more.

ii.
down the street at the end of the cul-de-sac
an old woman lives alone
a mostly dark house with tight-closed
shutters and peeling paint
shielded from neighbors’ bright-light-christmas
oh-so-white reindeer on the lawn
rearranged by kids one block over
humping.

iii.
wrapping paper
bows
presents
neglected now in disarray

iv.
in the kitchen an argument ensues
it’s too early to put the turkey
in the oven remember last year
how dry it was

v.
from the den loud snores
emanate
uncle jack drank too much again
same as always

vi.
in here
alone
my thoughts prowl meaning
sun pours through the half-moon
window above the door
that later in the day
will welcome others
we haven’t seen or spoken to
in months

vii.
my dogs relax
cuddled at my side
backlit by rays
content and cared-for
knowing we are present

viii.
i get it then
that’s what today is all about

This is not meant to be a downer, but rather to look beyond the fluff of holiday celebrations and get to the meaning behind them. I’m linking this to dVerse Poetics and to my own prompt on Presents vs. Presence. Also to Gooseberry Gardens where the prompt is Holiday Traditions. .

Merry Christmas, all. I hope you do get to taste the magic of the holidays.

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Write2Day–Presents versus Presence

Many of us are preparing to celebrate the holidays, each in his or her own way. Winter Solstice is the 22nd (0530 U.T.), reminding us of the play of light and darkness, this being the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

The holiday I celebrate is Christmas, the birth of Christ, even though we have no evidence as to when Jesus was actually born. The early Church took the prevailing festival of Saturn and adopted December 25th, the date midpoint in the event, in an attempt to incorporate the cultural traditions in which it found itself into its liturgical calendar.

Our world view has evolved, in part, thanks to the interconnectedness created by our Internet communities. We have become so much more aware of other traditions and thus attempt to become more inclusive. For me, this underlines how much we are alike, rather than emphasizing differences. In my lifetime experience, Christmas has become more secularized/commercialized and, for many, has lost its spiritual significance. Yet common themes of light, love, and giving remain important.

This week I was struck by a poem written by fellow blogger, Charles Mashburn. Without going into the poem itself, (I hope you will check it out) the message that struck me was the idea of Presence vs. Presents. As my own faith has matured, I see Christmas as a celebration of God, however God shows up in our lives: Presence. At the same time, I enjoy the anticipation of a child as I eye the Presents waiting under the tree and as I try to choose things that will please those I love. It’s all about giving, and receiving Love.

So, for this week’s prompt, I invite you to share your point of view about the holidays. And don’t be surprised if we encounter one or more common denominators. 

To participate:

  • Write an essay, short story or poem and post it to your blog.
  • Copy the URL and your Name into the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post.
  • Take a few moments to read other bloggers and comment on their work.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanza, Diwali, Holidays!

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Power of Love-A Haiku

candle flame

Image by ezioman via Flickr

Power of Love

Love is above all
energy kindling a fire
in the core of life.

I am posting this brief poem in gratitude for the nomination I received for the Perfect Poet’s Award, and to bring a bit of light into our celebrations of the season.