many hundreds of miles away with cats
(starting at the window)
fall crept in
as if it hadn’t fallen
really
not quite yet
or
it was mischief as from sprites
or maybe the mischief Lads
of
Yule
come down from Icelandic mountains
‘round this
time of year
with the ogress their mother
and sometimes
accompanied by the great black
Yule Cat
of which there is an enormous rendering
in Reykjavik
times the size of us
looking like an omen
in and of
itself
simply beheld
I mean many times the size of us
and warnings of great fire
for eyes
and all these beings
seem
to play a role like Krampus
in the watching
and the punishing of waywardness
though I’m not
sure
the audience for moralizing
children only
or
adolescents
full-on adults
and
might the creatures go to halls o
government as if one
year’s chastising
should be
enough
well
anyway
it’s blue and gray today
not
so far from Gettysburg
and with our own local versions
of
folklore
for seasons
and for planting and for harvest
for
correction though somewhere there should
be
tales of mercy
and good
humoe
don’t you think
and by the way
Icelanders have a true society for taking
care of
cats
The Cats of Reykjavik
friends gave me
a mug
because evidently people care
for cats
at home or should they wonder
elsewhere
be
actively looked after
not as
communal property rather
as
communal treasure
fear of the legends maybe
though
I don’t think so
except
well
there are stories and there
are
stories with one of the true ones
about cats
on board ships and how they kept the plague
away
by hunting rats that carried fleas
that in turn
carried plague
and
Europe would have done
so much better had they not killed cats
as
signs of witchcraft
which brings on two subjects of doubt
that grown-up people
even medieval Christians
say
should have known not
to have excused themselves
for all the local violence that had
the affecting
of wrecking health
and taking so very many
many
lives
and so for this and other real matters
the Icelandic
are
under aegis to be cared for
which
not I think on it
emphasizes civility
in
how we should be civilized
beyond dissolute
even
depraved
resolute
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(19 December, third week of Advent, fifth day into fifth night of Hanukkah, and there are planned traditional observations—with the solstice in the after the day after this one, whether planned by us or arriving anyway)
I typed “keept” at first for “kept” and rather liking “keept”; and, let me see, I haven’t slept (sleept?) since the night before this last one, and even then briefly (still breathing foul air); and I have a hangnail, which of course is bearable except there is a bandage on it, making typing more of a challenge than is usual—and this is enough if not excessively an apology
photo by Wietse Jongsma on Unsplash
Hallgrímskirkja
Reykjavík, Iceland
Tennessee’s Bell Buckle and a child on Christmas day
an
orange
some
walnuts
could be
pecans
and I imagine looking toward a barn
and once the chores
to look in peace
special
that day
scrubby fields
maybe
snow-covered
house the way houses are in that
part of the region
and
the nation
in the standings
in the time
is there room
in the house
in the barn
over
the fields
for hope
for moving away should there be the slightest more
one year
and
having grown
to do so
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briefly about my mother who grew up as a child not of but in the Depression
photo by Markus Petritz on Unsplash
pre-season practice
before it’s official
it’s been official
sun
now
but temperatures in teens and singly
and snow on
snow
Wednesday with the solstice Sunday
light now
warmth really
to clean off our cars and such
streets and sidewalks
and
now we’re had rehearsal
practice of real winter
calendared
for
when she comes
daughter of mother Earth
or choose another
folklore
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photo by Hert Niks on Unsplash
many and great
third light tonight
third candle lit
two days
ago
the parent and the child
traditions
illuminating
the brother of Isaac has
a place
as well
and will acknowledge the same father
when
it’s time
and then east of east
there
are traditions birthing meditation
and unity in
consciousness
while
west
of here
that admittedly was here
there is understanding of an Earth
that’s borderless
flown over by trickster
Raven
and higher
lower more
the Great Spirit
so
too
those with not tradition or
acknowledge none plus
the followings so many
more
on Earth
so many ways to count
measure
this day
not as the stars
though
as people here might be grouped
or
on one’s own develop
a philosophy
as well
ways to know the Earth and
Lord
of Earth
and
sky
and us for making
and for being there
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(writing from the eastern USA)
from the Dakota Hymn
Many and great, O God, are thy works,
Maker of earth and sky;
Thy hands have set the heavens with stars;
Thy fingers spread the mountains and plains.
(Joseph Renville)
photo by Roberto Shumski on Unsplash
ides of December
(3 poems)
north time
(5:42 a.m.)
still so dark
still
so dark
remembering that it’s blue
is
all
practicing memory of daytime as
it’s
taken away
creeps back with the solstice
yet
we believe it is brief time
with
victory enough
in
enduring days
again
again like these
to the north
to
the far south
prayer while frankly things are bad
(though regardless could be daily)
God
please
forgive me
help me
in
your timing
I know
though endurance with some endings
along the way
would
really serve
you know
and
of course
you do
you love
you know
you help
and if invisible while suffering
is real
and so there seems a differences
help me in this
to undeceive my senses
to
that the paradox of evidence unseen
and even
life by death
is
understood
and with embraces
here
nonetheless looking elsewhere
is it
forward or more directions
fully everywhere
at last
the past few days at Brown and in Sydney
(and the other places)
to have lost someone through murder
to have lost a child
a lover
or a friend
or to know there is an absence
a gap in what we knew
with health
was
a totality of presence
school of learners
place where faithful gather
any place that should
be easy to walk
through
where normal then became
punishing
insane
so much innocence
and
cowardice
not perfection in the victims
maybe worse for being any
one of
us
walking
breathing
now the smallest valley
sliced
in smooth land
where we had been walking even
if
absently yet
side by side
now only gone
and
in way that was horror and
now
how must we remaining
get on
because we must
we’re called
to
and we must call ourselves
and yet
to face all there is to face
to look within
then
at the world
in
what must be a teary way and then
once scoured
from
the empty place
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At about 4:20 p.m. on a cold Rhode Island Saturday, a message from Brown University flashed up on cellphones all over campus — everyone should run or take cover from an active shooter.
Hours later, horror erupted again, on the other side of the globe, as two gunmen sprayed bullets into a Hanukkah celebration on iconic Bondi Beach in Sydney.
At Brown, two students were killed and nine others were injured. At least 15 people died at Bondi Beach, and more than three dozen remain in the hospital.
. . .
(CNN)
photo by Nikola Johnny Mirkovic on Unsplash
Hanukkah by night
Hanukkah
by night
by days and nights
candles
prayers by song
and there are meals together
for
conversation
and there is play
it is the Temple miracle
eight lights
for
the time before supplies
arrived
and on their own
the lights
to sanctify
the space be sacrosanct
again
blue
silver
visits
dreidel
chocolate
and
a festive attitude
persisting all the week
and
why not
the love of God evident through
miracle
endowing the return
and
we could meet in Jerusalem
next year
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Photo by Katie Rainbow 🏳️🌈 on Unsplash--“A colorful nine-branched Hanukkah menorah, also known as a ‘Hanukkiah’. Handmade out of colored paper.”
names
Our Lady has a day
Juan Diego anglo named
she gave him roses
(12 December, Our Lady of Guadalupe)
I am Christopher
bearer of Christ and walking
hundred-acre woods
your name is your name
assigned you for a reason
there is a story
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(a series, I suppose, though I think each poem stands on its own)
there are good stories [a line while drafting that I thought I’d let stay on the page]
photo by Aida Batres on Unsplash
newly
I’ve been drafting for hours
and keep coming
back
to something like this
the Earth tilts
as it tilts
and we may claim distinction
of
the days
this
season counted
for example
is the new year for the church
having
started some days
ago
other years have begun
and others will begin
with
the world’s big one
or big night for
it
coming
in some
weeks
sip
of champagne at midnight
all I need
(sorry)
all
these beginnings
and often
we’re glad
maybe relieved
to close what has gone on before
behind
locked
what our psychologies
might need
but this is time
and
our inventions
and they’re interesting
(time
and
inventions)
anthropologies for an Anthropocene
age
and as we have new starts
what shall we count
anew
and could it be
unusual
as in
say
feeding the whole world as it can
be fed
by all of us
say
if most of the Earth’s children
might not have to go to bed
when hungry
and
the world might have safe water
and actively believe
in
the elimination
of
diseases
maybe we could say
like beginning at a crossroads
as at railroad Xes
(if
trite)
to stop
look
and listen
then when all clear move along
and
having stopped to get
to know
to hear
we might go in clarity as well as
specificity to help
roofs for homes for
all
some real
open moves toward peace
that don’t involve threatening
so
much
or
even victory
then there’s the chance
to learn
secured for all
maybe
at any are
and
I keep drafting about new years
and seasons
and
keep returning to the theme
of need and meeting
need
which is its thesis
too
and could be our own
a direction
an action plan
what have you
for
counting
uncounting new years
and
all the seasons
all of this the time
to help
I guess that’s all
except
to say
yes
we’ll make mistakes
but we’ll be
building
rather than hoarding or tearing
down
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photo by Ravi Kumar on Unsplash
allowance
I think God should be allowed
more so
frankly
than through wind and trees
to appear
or to be evidenced
by
faith and any form of love beheld
the good word
the good message
said
by some of us
to more of us
to convey the meaning of the unseen
evidence
and to convict on lack of
concrete grounds
except
to hear a story and then if a stirring
should come before
or
after
and should Scrooge way a bit of gravy of
some
mustard
but
then Marley should scream and then
Scrooge react
overwhelmed with belief
and should God scream
at us
and so concrete belief
or
leave it up to us
a question
that could go unasked
though there is that stirring
mustard notwithstanding
(I like
mustard)
something of truth
inside
to indicate
if
not at first beyond a feeling that
there’s something to believe in
more than
ourselves that
nonetheless should make
ourselves complete
even
an abundance
the promise that is perfectly kept if
the world should prevaricate
well
deceive
for an agenda
and
we must wait a while for
our own perfection
assigned
later
and all of us
unevidenced
do all
our best
even imperfectly
for now
rising
falling
leaving
then
the coming back
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image by Achim Scholty from Pixabay
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