I had the day off and spent a couple of hours in a coffee shop sipping and writing. Here's what tumbled out of my head. Number two was inspired by a conversation on a Zoom call I was on in the morning. Number five was inspired by an email I got that said to be intentional about your writing. Hm.
I.
Christmas Eve Day
A cold rain is falling in the high desert
A few hundred miles further north or 1,000 feet higher
And it would be snow.
Snow is much prettier than rain
Softer, too.
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II.The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb
The ties of friends in battle.
Had nothing to do with family blood.
Somehow the phrase distilled into
Blood is thicker than water.
A corruption of the original meaning.
Some say the spirit is thicker than blood.
And on and on we go
Interpreting, searching, rewriting.
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III.Christmas Eve Day
Merry Christmas is in the air
Closing government buildings
Shutting down stores and restaurants early
Crowded parking lots
As people rush to find
The items they forgot
To buy
For
Cooking, baking, gifting.
Humming along to Christmas music
Everywhere they go.
Trying to remain cheerful
Rather than stress about relationships
Potential arguments
And dietary issues.
Ah, family and friends
Preparing to gather
Together
To feast and be merry
To feast and be joyful
To feast and watch football
Or basketball
Or old movies.
Expecting noise
Expecting sullen quiet
Expecting nothing
And hoping for the best
Christmas Eve Day will soon be Christmas Eve
No more time to prepare
Tomorrow is the big day.
Whether you celebrate or not,
Christmas Day is not just another day.
Merry, happy, gifts, prayers, and singing
For many.
For some,
The world seems to shut down
And expect everyone to have a place to go
People to be with
Food to feast on
Gifts to give and receive.
Christmas Eve Day,
It isn’t everyone’s holiday
But it’s impossible to not feel the pull.
Or feel the solitude
when the sun sets on December 24
And when the sun rises on Christmas Day..
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IV.Happy Christmas weekend.
The wind is blowing
Cold.
The sky is white with clouds.
At least the rain has stopped.
If only it would snow,
And turn this bleak day into
Something of beauty.
Waiting for the clouds to clear,
The sun to set,
The moon to rise,
And stars to sparkle.
Waiting for the holiday season
To reach a crescendo.
Hoping the high notes last
Long into the new year.
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V.Set your intentions
Commit to putting in the time and effort
Sounds like a lot of work
To have a relaxing and fulfilling experience.
What happened to
Breathe in, breathe out
Be yourself
Don’t let how others think about you
Cloud how you live your life?
Intentional is a work term
I’d rather not bring it into my personal space.
Commitment sounds like marriage
I don’t need that right now either.
So I gues my intention
Is to do things my way
And my commitment
Is to not let others dictate how I should live.
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VI.Christmas is an interesting holiday
It celebrates a birth
But not on the day of the birth.
It celebrates peace and good will,
With over indulgence and gift binging.
In certain countries the Christmas season is imposed
On everyone, regardless of religion.
Merry Christmas is a salutation and a farewell,
Christmas decorations begin appearing at Halloween
And Christmas music is played nonstop for over a month.
Which leads some people to wonder
What would Jesus think about this?
What are we really celebrating here?
Do you need a religious holiday to recognize the importance of
Faith, peace, love, hope.
Wouldn’t it be nice
If we could live those thoughts
Every day
And not act like religion owns them.
Wouldn’t it be nice if
Faith was personal,
Peace was universal,
Love came easily and stayed longer,
Hope could make dreams come true.
Celebrate a birth
Celebrate a miracle
Celebrate a heritage
Celebrate the solstice
Celebrate believing in whatever you choose
Celebrate not believing.
Just take the time
To be happy for at least a day
And to love yourself forever.
