POETRY PROMPT RESPONSE | DECIDEDLY DECEMBER
A true story that I cherish when December comes slip sliding it's old-fashioned, humble, love-filled and decidedly December so grab a chair and draw in close as I tell you of my childhood in a land where stars are plenty closets lack coats: hearts aren't empty
It never snowed on Christmas Day nor at any time of the year so the job fell on Dad to forge white Christmases year after year. In the humble-est of efforts, we saw him scratch his head and gloat as he passed ideas by Mom, who'd nod and smile, making pig sounds.
The excitement from the town folks brought buzz that sped up November for the sundry store-tailor shop to build a great show and bring snow. On the first day of December did appear a pure white Christmas in the window of a store in a small town in a small country.
Balls of cotton, elongated, patted flat garlanded the floor wire hangers shaped as twinkly stars, candy canes, snowflakes, and toy horns. Mom's doilies from Good-Housekeeping garnered praise and conversations a plastic snowman 'tween snowflakes, the jolly Santa, wee toy drums.
Trumpets, airplanes, ribbons & dolls, broomstick horses, storybooks, sprites Victorian cards, fake holly, painted pine cones — did folks dazzle! Rocking robins, talismans, doves little toy soldiers with toy guns. And in the middle, the tallest Christmas tree, ornaments & lights.
But in our cozy rooms — the rest of the house the new linoleum and Christmas curtains the present wrapping and more decorating, the advent calendar and Christmas baking, the greeting cards and hallmark apples, the Santa letters and Christmas stockings, the record player and joyful carols. Poinsettias, doilies, kugels, Dresdens, the nativity with the boy-child, and the angel atop the table Yule tree — joys that set our little hearts ablaze.
For the rest of my days, when December comes slip sliding humble love mem'ries trance me decidedly December: Daddy brought us white Christmases to revel and boast, and Mommy brought us Yuletide joy to last forever.
© 2022 selmamartin.com
This lovely image that's just a reflection of a white Christmas is just the image I was looking for. Thanks, it's by brisch27 from Pixabay retouched on Canva by Author. I hope you like it too.
I wish to thank Paper Poetry for publishing my story and for the lovely prompt that's running until the end of December. Check it out.
And sonneteer extraordinaire, William J Spirdione for the nudge with such a generous mention in his lovely piece. Check that out too, dear ones. I'm delighted to see how he starts his sonnet with an old remembrance of the first words he uttered: "The lights, the lights!" What joy!
Thanks for reading and may the last month of the year be merry and full of light.
For me, Christmas is a season that starts with Advent > December > Christmas <>Hope, faith, joy, peace <> ends with the Epiphany
"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." ~ Hamilton Wright Mabie
To you, whichever way you celebrate, I wish you *Happy*Super*Joyous* December Celebrations.