Christmas Gathering/Poem/Bette Wolf Duncan

The moon was painting shadows

on the fresh new coat of white

that lightened up the darkness

of the lonely, lonely night.

It was Christmas on the prairie;

and we stopped to say, “Hello,”

to friends that we’d last visited

too many moons ago.

 

It wasn’t lonely anymore,

with windows gleaming gold,

inviting us to come on in

out of the bitter cold.

And we walked into a cabin

that was filled with Christmas cheer.

It was Christmas…and the fireplace glowed;

and friends were gathered near.

We watched the sparks leap from the fire

as folks all stirred and stoked.

We reminisced about the past.

We sang and laughed and joked.

And fondly, we remembered

the good times that we’d had;

but we remembered, also,

when the good times turned to bad.

Our friendship, it then struck me,

resembled so those sparks;—

it somehow glowed the brightest

when the brightest hours turned dark.

When all our dreams were shattered;

and the times were growing sour,

our friends stood right beside us

and sweetened every hour.

Our hearts and souls communed again

till it was time to go;

then joined our tethered horses

that were waiting in the snow.

We left with quite the finest gifts!

We left with memories

and knowledge of how blessed we were

to have such friends as these!

© 2010, Bette Wolf Duncan

This poem may not be reprinted or reposted without the author's written permission.