Christmasku

 night

falling

 snow

                                                                winter stillness . . .

                                                                a strand of tinsel

                                                                in the tilted pine

                                                                                                                                  Christmas morning

                                                                                                                                       a drift of snow

                                                                                                                                through the sun porch

Christmas morning . . .

my neighbour’s brass door knocker

dusted with snow

                                                                toll booth lit for Christmas—

                                                                from my hand to hers

                                                                warm change

                                                                                                                                home for Christmas:

                                                                                                                                my childhood desk drawer

                                                                                                                                empty

northern lights—

    snow sifts

through the bird feeder

                                                                deep red sunset

                                                                on Christmas Eve—

                                                                the phone’s sudden ring

                                                                                                                                distant church bells . . .

                                                                                                                                a sparrow’s breath

                                                                                                                                lost in the holly berries

home on Christmas Eve—

the street-corner santa

unbuttons his shirt

                                                                crackling fire—

                                                                a hint of eggnog

                                                                in her kiss