Head and Heart

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Why do we keep coming here?

Year after year.

It's kind of crazy--really.

Staggering down the steps with the heavy boxes.

Dragging out the old tattered Christmas tree.

Wondering if lights work

and where are those special ornaments

we seem to have lost.

Standing on ladders, reaching high

to hang the green-colored wreaths.

Sending cards--with stamps as high as they are.

Thinking of menus

and table settings

and who will be here.

Moving all the stuff off the mantle--

to stretch lights, of all things

and garland

and greenery.

Why do we keep coming here?

Thinking again of mangers

and stars

and shepherds

and over-filled rooms.

We've been here so often

we know it all by heart.

We move past bills

and TV terrors

and political disappointments

and sad obituary notices

and aching backs

To see what folk have always seen--

Not much, really.

Just hay

and starlight

and common names

like Mary and Joseph

and of all things

a baby.

Just a baby.

--Roger Lovette

(I wrote this piece in December 2016. Some of you may not have seen it and so I send it out again.)

-Roger Lovette / rogerlovette.blogspot.com