They Came

camels trudge the sand

shifting the grains of time's glass

images in relief

Nativity

light shows dusting yards

pilgrim tires crunch on cracked glass

blazes of fake glitter

con temporary

faith and nostalgia displayed

it's the thing to do

somewhere beyond stars

beyond Bethlehem memory

meaning rides its camel

Christmas Eve Trilogy

crushing cold winter

threatens to reach inside scarves

distancing Christmas

street bound old matrons

feel the gingerbread crumble

chapped hands touching dreams

childish eyes follow

the drunken Santa's stumble

almost recalling

Christmas Haiku #2

evergreen arms reach
for gifts just beyond their grasp
joy deadened in time

Christmas Haiku #1

tissue paper toes
traipse into ever greening
portals of pleasure

Leftovers

When the trap snaps

and the pain shoots upward

through the leg,

does the brain react

with regret or despair?

Do the toes retrace the steps

with a fancy move that postpones

danger?  Does the mind's eye see

what preoccupation missed?

When does the axis pivot

from Calvin to Arminius,

acceptance to resolve?

When does the mouth begin

to chew its way through

to the bone of freedom?

Turkeys on Parade

Thanksgiving is all about eating.

Turkeys bronzed in butter.

green beans cozied in cream.

sweet potatoes burnished

with brown sugar, pecans

pressed into service. And don't

forget the pumpkin pies

punctuated with dollops

of whipped topping squirted

from a chilled can, It's as though

the replication of plenty

somehow translates

into gratitude, blessing

is measured in heaping bowls.