Christmas Lights
My son lives in Florida with his spouse
I was visiting them at their house
On my last day in the warm sunlight
He was outside hanging a Christmas light
I walked outside and my eyes started to tear
Because my wife is no longer hear
I always disliked hanging Christmas lights
Early comes the winter days and nights
My wife would always give me directions
On how to hang the decorations
I now miss hearing my wife say
No don’t do it that way
I didn’t always take her advice
To hear her now would really be nice
FRUITY VOICE
Her voice reminds me of laughter barely suppressed
An energetic spirit tugging constantly at the rope
A caterpillar turning to butterfly at any moment
Her voice sounds like lifegiving fruit
Not serious, self-important fruit like geometrically precise pineapples
Or pompous, overfed watermelons
Too heavy to lift
Not business fruit like apples, on duty keeping doctors away
Or bananas waiting to do their slippery work under feet
Or blackberries, whose careers lie in jam
But mischievous fruit like grapes or cherries
Which roll away like playful children when you’re not looking
Or fallen raisins on the carpet pretending to be part of the pattern
Fun-loving fruit like mandarin oranges around the Christmas tree
Basking under the Christmas lights, enjoying the glitter
Of tinsel and the smell of pine needles
Small fruits which enjoy life,
Laughing as they jostle each other in their bag,
And which could easily become bubbly wine if tempted.
Her ripened voice -
The spontaneous fruit of a lifetime
Of growth and maturing, and regeneration :
Aliment for my soul’s ailment.
I hug you in the morning because it starts my day off right.
I hug you before I go to bed so I will have sweet dreams.
I hug you before breakfast because it makes my cereal taste better.
I hug you after dinner because you help me with the dishes.
I can’t hug you at lunch when I’m at work,
so I hug you as soon as I get home because I missed you.
I hug you when you’re tired because I think it helps.
I hug you when you’re sad because I wish I could make things better.
I hug you in the elevator, to make the best use of time.
I hug you before you get ready, because I always think you’re pretty.
I hug you after church because that’s what Jesus would do.
I hug you when I think of family to make up for lost time.
I hug you even when you don’t want me to, because I love you
I hug you every chance I get, because it wouldn’t be any fun without you.
*Written on the left side of the Christmas card I gave my wife, 2009. Our first Christmas
together.
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