born

a benediction of winter flakes

meanders slowly toward earth

and I think of Handel’s chorus

“for unto us”

and singing it with Tourins

and the sweet strings of the symphony

and the soprano melisma

moving in perfect and

gentle rhythm to the effortless

five note cadence

alighting on the e

like snow on a

branch

and all is suspended

for an eternal moment

of divine incarnation

see a mother hold her child

in that wild first moment of recognition

of the ocean depth of love

that echoes to the farthest reaches

of the universe 

longest night

begins around 3:30 pm

this fading

that turns to dark

determined relentless

and on come the millions of little lights

to lighten the leaden dim

and we breathe through it again

this darkest of dark nights

dampened by the fog and mist

that stealthed in from west

like a cat’s paw alighting

tentative and timid

driving the highway home

to wait again for morning light

and promised longer days 

a cat at Christmas

a cat at Christmas knows its place

first outside

then inside

then outside

then curled up by the tree

in the glow of candles and coloured lights

presents opened and unopened

surround

he doesn’t need a gift

carols from the speaker don’t bother him

as he sleeps

his dreams not of sleighs or St. Nick

but when bells ring he wakes and stretches

and moves to his perch on the couch

observing the drama unravel

like yarn that gets caught in our hands and feet

winding around our hearts

in the annual pageant of love

green eyes closing for another

curled-up nap

hoar frost

we drive

we drive highwayroadstreet

to work

to school

to meeting

to shop

to movie

to concert

to church

a means from    to

sometimes

it is the drive though

that makes the trip

when the wonder of the ice crystal

sings a carol on every twig

on every branch

on every tree

new world

white winter miracle

and these bones crack a smile

and want to dance

driven to delight 

begin advent

snow globe newness now

frosty car with windows scraped

slowly powders through