12 Poems Before Christmas

The Christmas

(after Ray Carver)

the Christmas with bells on
the Christmas when you were alone
the Christmas with knowledge of snow
the Christmas as smorgasboard
the Christmas transcending home
the Christmas where angels fall
the Christmas pretending to have a chimney
the Christmas inside bonhomie
the Christmas long-distance call
the Christmas in someone's war
the Christmas behind mystery
the Christmas becoming childhood
the Christmas writing Stocking Fillers
the Christmas through mulled eyes
the Christmas with an open door
the Christmas you misunderstood
the Christmas bloody number one
the Christmas that passes by
the Christmas of frozen breath
the Christmas on cocktail sticks
the Christmas from a store
the Christmas beyond death
the Christmas pouring killer roads
the Christmas wanting more
the Christmas inside soap operas
the Christmas that's left over
the Christmas you can remote control
the Christmas at a year's end
the Christmas for lovers
the Christmas of a lost soul
the Christmas card you never send
the Christmas when Ray's car broke down
the Christmas lived with the old
the Christmas with kids before they've grown
the Christmas as an abstract noun
our Christmas

- 1995 -