Christmas Commotion

The visit cut short by Christmas commotion.
She rushed into her mother’s house
dropped off the two foot tall,
pre-decorated, live holly tree.
Did not stop to shed her coat.
More Christmas commotion called.

Caroling, caroling, to and fro,
there was the Christmas concert at school
sans real carols,
red pleated skirts,
white shirts to be pressed.
A different attire to attend for the
live Christmas pageant at the church.

They started roasting chestnuts on the open fire
the first weekend of the month.
She shucked each one by hand.

Jack Frost started nipping on the children’s toes
as the first snow fell.
She carted the plastic tubs
of snow clothes and boots from the basement
to decorate her little Eskimos.

At 2 am she would write her Christmas letter
reciting all of the joys,
as well as the trials and tribulations of the year.
She thought about posting E-cards this year,
instead of addressing Currier & Ives
but her oldest daughter had already stamped the envelopes.

The gingerbread house –
the pieces usually baked
to where they were structurally sound,
but barely edible.
Flower over the kitchen floor from baking cookies
powdering the nose, shirt, and toes
of her four year old
on the stool beside the counter.

She kept the birdfeeders filled.
Was irritated when she saw
the sunflowers seeds spilled over the snow
by the foraging deer.

This year, each night,
with the children nestled all snug in their beds,
she would sit at the computer
buy gifts on-line
moving at a dizzying pace
from website to website to compare prices.

Then the tree
finding it, lugging it,
strapping it to the top of the car –
keeping the cat out of the branches
crying when Grandma-ma’s Christmas ornament
is broken by too much loving from a six year old.

So with all this,
is there really a Christmas?
Is there worth beyond measure –
room for love, and family ties –
to cry over O’Henry’s tale
to find the real gift beneath the trappings—
to find peace beneath the commotion?

Ray Brown

 

Two perfect gifts for the readers in your life, or hostess gifts, or stocking stuffers.

Consider purchasing my book, “I Have His Letters Still” – Poetry of Everyday Life (150 pages – $11.95) Order on Amazon, http://tinyurl.com/RayBrownAmazon  

An inexpensive ($2) Ray Brown ePoetry Chapbook, Poetry of the Season – “Christmas”, six inspirational and thought provoking poems.  Purchase for Kindle readers on Amazon orrFree Downloadable applications for your PC, iPhone, iPa , BlackBerry, and Android..  http://tinyurl.com/RayBrowneBookChristmas2010