constructing poetry

a glimpse of Christmas Past

today I got a Christmas card
with magic Christmas power—
you see, I peeled the envelope
and slipped back many hours

and days, and years until I found
myself inside the card,
riding on a one horse sleigh
into a church courtyard.

the horse’s harness rang with bells,
the sleigh was robin red,
to keep me warm I had a fur
confection on my head,

the church’s windows gave a glow—
‘twas clearly candle light,
and all the air was filled with snow.
a perfect Christmas night.

and snow lay even on the ground
and roofs and trees—so sweetly.
(that’s how I knew the scene was staged,
snow never lies so neatly)

near the church to welcome me,
and Merry Christmas bringing,
was a group of carolers,
and all of them were singing.

that’s when my eyes began to blur
because they were my dead—
my grandparents, my nephew, yes.
I tumbled from the sled,

and raced to greet them tenderly
and sang with them all night—
the magic of that Christmas card
held us, ‘til dawn’s light.

and then I blinked and in my hands
the card was small again,
the ink was faint—I couldn’t tell
just who had sent it, then.

and as I watched, it faded fast
to leave an empty card.
no picture of an open sleigh
in a snowy yard.

no candle sticks through windowpanes,
no painted snow capped roof.
nothing remained of this sweet gift
that I could count as proof,

but in my heart, the memory stands
and yes, I still believe
in magic, and in my dead who
are loved eternally.

line count: 48

Prompt ▼

Currier & Ives Christmas. Write a rhyming poem that takes us back in time to a Currier & Ives kind of Christmas. (Google Currier & Ives if you aren't familiar with them.) Think simpler times, family oriented. Togetherness. No cell phones, video games or TV.

Words to use: harness, candle, envelope, stick
Forbidden words: auto, car, TV, cellphone, video, computer, internet,