Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Fire and Ice

Fire and Ice
by
Robert Frost




Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.



Monday, December 5, 2011

The Colors of Christmas



The Colors of Christmas


We drove through Pickens,
South Carolina, following
the road up and over
Caesar’s Head towards
Connestee Falls.

The elevation found a display
of autumn leave leftovers
and barren branches
hung on mountain trees.

The road, grey-misted
and lonely in an afternoon fog,
fell to a valley of green,
quite in contrast
to the December browns.

When we arrived,
Mother was hanging
icicle lights on the house;
it felt like home.

Even the rain
belonged to the day
and the cold outside
found a welcoming fire
inside where the children
and I snuggled

next to the Christmas tree
adorned with my favorite
childhood ornaments,
each special memory
remembered
by those represented.

As dusk seeped her color
across a western sky,
darkness twinkled
diamonds
into a clearing night
that brought a borealis
of pink, peach, and ice blue;

as my children
pressed their noses
to frosted glass
making Santa and reindeer
finger paintings,

I caught the moment
before it drifted away,
tucking it deep inside
next to last year's
Christmas colors.