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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

Ah, the hustle and bustle of Christmas. I’ve never been able to keep up with it all.  Especially purchasing and wrapping presents. My dad never did any of it – he left it all for Mom.  Well, Lorelie and I don’t have that kind of marriage. I’m thankful for that –  most of the time.  But buying and wrapping presents?  Yup, Fast food for energy and brave the mall on Christmas Eve.  Every year! Some years ago I wrote a silly poem and Lorelie said,  “That’s pretty good’ I could improve it!”  Hope you enjoy the poem. This is the way it was!   Tim

Jacques and the Bean Stocks Once upon a time a widow toiled on a small organic produce farm with little help from her grown son Jacques.  The young man longed to be rich, but just couldn’t see himself working hard enough to get there.  Jobs he saw advertised looked like hard work and didn’t pay