Dear Reader,
Cathy’s poem, “O CHRISTMAS TREE”, may take more than one reading. Each reading will take you further into the poem and increase its meaning for you. This certainly happened for me and may happen for you!
The poem is a Pantoum, a Malaysian oral form of poetry that became famous in Europe and America in the 19th & 20th centuries. The poem consists of four line stanzas where lines repeat themselves in different stanzas and add to the lines meaning in each stanza.
I find this particularly appropriate for the Christmas season where year after year we repeat traditions and the repetition adds to the significance of the tradition. Some of the traditions are part of the season for many of us like carols and choral Christmas concerts. Other are connected to families, cultures, religions and where we live.
With several readings the lines of “O CHRISTMAS TREE” become familiar and open you to traditions you have practiced over the years. you might write a Pantoum poem or (a good thing about poetry) find yourself playing with the lines as you consider what Christmas has meant for you.
Thank you Cathy and enjoy the poem!
Tim
O CHRISTMAS TREE
We always put the lights on first
Bright colors on green boughs
Like tiny fires of hope
To banish winter darkness
Bright colors on green boughs
The sweet fragrance of fresh fir
To banish winter darkness
Each ornament reflects them
The sweet fragrance of fresh fir
We always put the lights on first
Each ornament reflects them
Like tiny fires of hope
To read Cathy’s previous poem published in the NESTER, TIDE BOOK – click herehttps://notesfromanester.com/2023/06/28/cathy-ross-poet-tide-book/
