Merry Hannukah, Happy Christmas and a Peaceable New Year

no snow no snow
doesn't feel like christmas

our holiday was nice,
but christmas always has me expectant
and i don't like the way things get bogged with too muchness
and consumer panic

having emerged from my sickness cocoon, that just keeps on hacking
i wake to beautiful burning bright hannukah candles on my purple clay menorah,
which i won several years ago while contemplating reinvestigating my jewishness

i like light, dig miracles and candle wax
new traditions are born out of old traditions
we wear silly hats and sing and feel blessed and share and dance
and play the spinning top for chocolate coins

we give gifts and exchange warmth and silliness and the joy of being together
and candles and light and wax and brightness and the quiet that candles bring

mixed into this new fangled jewishness ,
we embrace tree and more lights, coloured and blue and white
and the new led lights invented by students at my old alma mata...yeah for them

we hang our stockings with care in hopes that santa, hannukah harry and harriet will be there
and this year so special
we have wee mama
little shrinking sweetly grandmama over
and on christmas eve we make the special meal
the secrets to lamb and perfect roast potatoes and minty mint sauce
revealed such a gift

and christmas comes and new playmobil is played
and surprizes are had and the nicest wrapping is the wrap made by my husbands students
and i ask for the trim back to make into more crafti bits and pieces

and daughter tears the wrap but wee grandma is careful and unwraps with reverance remembering,
conditioned not to waste anything

it is a nice christmas, no snow, now snow

and solstice passes too, grandmas birthday...we eat and drink and make merry
and she wishes her birthday where in june

and flora, the cat sleeps in her hannukah present of a bed

menorah lights burn as christmas lights tinkle
and there is peace on the earth where i am standing

and after christmas expectation preparation a sigh of it's over another
and the odd week between this and fresh new new year comes
the pause to rethink, rework, relax

as the world slowly unchristmasizes and goes back to ho hum
and slower and less crowded and manic and sparkly

and i dream of dogs
wear new snoopy pajamas
and investigate dog parts

and become more and more interested in canine

and wonder what the new year will bring
and want to walk walk walk more and stretch

and start again at the beginning
and be well
and continue to indulge with sweets and chocolates but
know the world isn't this worry free

happy new year
peace on earth
good will


and love