christmas

christmas
tinsel and bows
litter the living room
or, if the wrapping paper
now litters the dumpster,
still the tree sheds needles
which persistently reject
the advances of a
worn out vacuum cleaner

christmas
when the malls move on
quickly to returns,
and as soon as possible
valentine hearts
make their appearance
even though, for some
it's still

christmas ~
don't you allow the sales
to move you beyond the twelve days
when G-d enters the world
of peace
of conflict
of joy and grief
of life and death
in our celebration, G-d rejoices
in our pain, the divine heart breaks
G-d's heart breaks open
and G-d's self is poured out,
refreshing as champagne
and bottomless as diner coffee ~

christmas,
with it's incarnation
does not confine itself to
one, or twelve, days
or even to the four weeks
following thanksgiving
but whatever day
wherever two or three
in the Child's Name
collect themselves
there is Christmas, G-d incarnate

so now, a day or two after
tinsel and eggnog are disposed of
we wake to coffee with Auden
our happy morning over
and trusting that G-d is not gone
but among us always