12-25-20, a poem
On this eve when we’re looking up
to the sky
for stars to guide us,
or angels to sing to us,
or bells in church towers
to ring clear,
Take a moment to look down
at the soil beneath you,
stand still
feeling the earth turning.
Keep your head in the clouds
where your holiday wishes reside,
and your feet planted
here in the world where
we all live together.
Yes, even after the tragedy
of a year
wasted on that which is ill,
those who still live
are all here together,
our next breath
the most precious gift of the season.