Christmas

Dark and bleak the days become

Mother and child still are one.

They seek a shelter for the night

against the cold weather’s fright

A shed, a stable they find by grace

In the night their stay finds pace

to labor pains inside the shed

Labor and love defies world’s dread

where infant cries break the sounds

all kings and shepherds seek to surround

as star reflects hope and the son

God enters the world among

on this our Christmas Day…

Copyrighted:  2016 CMM

As the chickadee finds its nest,

among the prickly leaf…

The labored Mother sighs

as birthing finds relief…

Then nature joins a chorus,

among the star they sing…

Humanity realized His birth

of the Resurrection King…

He came among the world

in quiet winter’s rest…

Chickadee without notice

continues to make his nest…

Copyrighted:  CMM 2003

Christmas lights flicker

into colors, green and red.

The silence of the season

hangs in what is not said.

It is the knowing you are not here

your smile I miss the most,

The quiet way you made it so

a holiday Christmas toast.

I will miss our first Christmas

with you not around.

I will miss all the other Christmas’

in memory do resound.

Copyright:  2011  CMM

A voice so loud, I do remember,

Early evening, in late December

“Ho ho ho”, with a thunderous caugh,

Waking from slumber, we began to laugh.

Why was he here and we not asleep?

As our grandfather yelled, “kids come take a peep.”

“It looks as though Santa has come too soon,

You are awake and giggling in your room.”

We tip toed and peered around the hall to see,

a bearded man, red suit, looking back at me.

“Ho Ho Ho”, he winked and continued to sound.

“You are awake and wide eyed, I have found.”

We stood there in awe, and not a word said,

He hugged us, “Now get back to your bed.”

I remember the night, Santa came too soon.

As I tried to fall asleep, that night in my room.

Copyrighted:  2016 CMM

I remember the little white package.

It was a rippled red ribbon so neatly tied.

Crossbow over the square gift.

Placed just under the 3 ft. Christmas Tree.

Set on a table with white cotton tree skirt.

“It’s not much,” she would say.

“Oh, Grandma, anything you give is always too

much.”

We would smile as her trembling hands reached for the gift.

“Thank you Grandma,” as we opened the gift gingerly.

There in the little gift was a pair of sheer stockings.

“Grandma, how did you know, this is just what I needed.”

She would smile delightfully with light behind her blue eyes.

You see, the gift of love was one she could not wrap in paper.

The caring hands were never measured by a moment.

Her memory is not in just one generation, but many.

Her gift, I treasure, it was the gift of love left lingering.

Copyrighted: December 2016  CMM

I looked past the window pane and saw the gray bleak sky,

and felt the chill left in the house where all the quiet abides.

I’m not sure which bird I heard but off in distance it sings,

And I listen until the quiet resumes, then hear him once again.

Ice has passed and snow’s to come, blanketing frozen ground,

as I walked among the woods a breaking crunching sound

of frozen earth reminds me of the labored year has passed.

We look for good news to come, and hope that will surpass.

This hope was birthed among the timbers and quiet baby born,

yet the world goes on the same, even after Christmas morn.

Listen, as the year ends, Father times bids us farewell,

while the story remains anew among the promised tale

of birth and baby, poverty persist and still it overcomes,

rage and war and even death as life brought by a son.

Copyrighted:  CMM  2008

Christmas lights flicker

   into colors, green and red.

The silence of the season

   hangs in what is not said.

It is the knowing you are not here

   your smile I miss the most,

The quiet way you made it so

   a holiday Christmas toast.

I will miss our first Christmas

   with you not around.

I will miss all the other Christmas’

    in memory do resound.

Copyrighted:  2011 CMM

Mom, I wonder if you see the star,

one promised long ago.

Is it brighter from time passed

with a constant glow.

Are you closer to the cradle,

of which no time can rot,

This manger scene, of babe

and birth that never is forgotten.

If in heaven you get to see

all the wonders of that night.

I see your smile in all we love,

and I know you are alright.

© CMM  Christmas 2011

Mother’s Christmas

                                                 The Gift

I find myself (as I do every Christmas)  thinking back to a

special lady who always made Christmas so loving. There was

one gift I always remember and treasure is the one from

Grandma.

She was old and retired. She was living on a very limited

income. Each Christmas she would set up a tree no taller than

2 feet. It was artificial and set on a little table covered with cotton

from old boxes replicating snow.

She would take the little money she had and buy each of her

grandchildren hose for the girls and socks for the boys. Even

today I remember her going to the little tree. Her hands had

become old with swollen joints and trembled just a little as

she picked up the little gift wrapped in thin paper from the year

before. There was always a thin ribbon, usually red tied to the

gift. Handing me the little gift, she would say, “It’s not much.” I

would always smile to her and say, “Grandma, you have no idea

how much I needed hose.” She would smile and sit next to the

little tree. Today that gift keeps giving back to me. It was love.