Christmastime and Poetry: Part 2
No Christmas Tree Where It Should Be
David Keig
A Christmas tree! A Christmas tree!
With dark green needled memories
Of childhood dreams and mysteries
Wrapped present-like in front of me.
A Christmas tree! A Christmas tree!
I glimpse a past wherein I see
The child that then grew into me
Not forward fast but haltingly.
A Christmas tree! A Christmas tree!
A time for being with family
A time that's gone so fleetingly
Yet lives for always deep in me.
A Christmas tree! A Christmas tree!
When twelfth night comes whole hauntingly
One lingered look and then I see
No Christmas tree where it would be.
A Christmas tree! A Christmas tree!
With feelings now felt tearfully
No home, no kids surrounding me
No corner in my house to see
The magic of that Christmas tree.
"And that's the way life is," my mother said as I read the last line. "I know that will happen to me, but all I can hope is that I go first. But the sad thing is, that's life." She put the last of our presents under the tree and began to walk back upstairs to finish her cleaning...
But she's right. That is life for so many people all over the world. There are somany who's Christmases has never quite been the same since they lost that special someone. Then I look at some of the older ladies at my church: never been married and still alone. They could wake up Christmas morning to no gifts, but most of all and the saddest of all, no love. Or what about the homeless on our streets? They could go to a shelter, but I've been to a lot of them and they aren't the safest or nicest. I understand why they'd rather chance it on the streets...at least there are witnesses around if something happens.
This time, I didn't get that feeling of an analylitcal poetry critic and so I decided not to write about meter and rhythm. I felt inspired to discuss the life of the poem, the emotion and heart, rather than the perameters of it.
Everyone deserves love at Christmastime. After all, it was the birth of Jesus and His love that started Christmas anyway.
So, in the next few weeks, please remember those who might have a more difficult Christmas this year. We can't change the rest of the world before our own home. Canada is a great country known for heartfelt and generous people...so be true to your Canadian roots this Christmas. Give a smile or a wave or hug this season.
David Keig
A Christmas tree! A Christmas tree!
With dark green needled memories
Of childhood dreams and mysteries
Wrapped present-like in front of me.
A Christmas tree! A Christmas tree!
I glimpse a past wherein I see
The child that then grew into me
Not forward fast but haltingly.
A Christmas tree! A Christmas tree!
A time for being with family
A time that's gone so fleetingly
Yet lives for always deep in me.
A Christmas tree! A Christmas tree!
When twelfth night comes whole hauntingly
One lingered look and then I see
No Christmas tree where it would be.
A Christmas tree! A Christmas tree!
With feelings now felt tearfully
No home, no kids surrounding me
No corner in my house to see
The magic of that Christmas tree.
"And that's the way life is," my mother said as I read the last line. "I know that will happen to me, but all I can hope is that I go first. But the sad thing is, that's life." She put the last of our presents under the tree and began to walk back upstairs to finish her cleaning...
But she's right. That is life for so many people all over the world. There are somany who's Christmases has never quite been the same since they lost that special someone. Then I look at some of the older ladies at my church: never been married and still alone. They could wake up Christmas morning to no gifts, but most of all and the saddest of all, no love. Or what about the homeless on our streets? They could go to a shelter, but I've been to a lot of them and they aren't the safest or nicest. I understand why they'd rather chance it on the streets...at least there are witnesses around if something happens.
This time, I didn't get that feeling of an analylitcal poetry critic and so I decided not to write about meter and rhythm. I felt inspired to discuss the life of the poem, the emotion and heart, rather than the perameters of it.
Everyone deserves love at Christmastime. After all, it was the birth of Jesus and His love that started Christmas anyway.
So, in the next few weeks, please remember those who might have a more difficult Christmas this year. We can't change the rest of the world before our own home. Canada is a great country known for heartfelt and generous people...so be true to your Canadian roots this Christmas. Give a smile or a wave or hug this season.