Violets jeweled my life with friendly faces.
Each promised purpled constancy
And each I clasped and cherished.
Years, clustered, ripened in my summer's sun,
Bade me dream of wine to share.
Friendships warmed in lengthening days
While butterflies, spiraling, ascending, danced.
Now fallen acorns wait for leaf burial;
Now wither white rays and golden heart
Of pearly everlasting, false to its name.
Trees rust in cold, damp nights
To mirror my own autumn oxidation.
The harvest falls to foxes
And purple verities are dun and done with.
Strange, in the grimness of winter's glare,
Hope ripens orange on persimmon trees
Whose bitter fruit begins to shrink,
To soften, yes, to die.
But mystery unfolds as just before release
It is transformed to total sweetness.
Hold on, my heart, relinquish naught
Which through the seasons love has bought.
Old dogs are dearer than the rest;
Old wine is good, old friends are best.
FLL copyright, 1980
As these hints are too late for this Christmas... use them next year!
Gather presents, boxes, paper, etc in the middle of living room floor.
Get tape back from puppy.
Remove scissors from older dog's mouth.
Open box.
Take puppy out of box.
Remove tape from older dog's mouth.
Take scissors away from puppy.
Put present in box.
Remove present from puppy's mouth.
Put back in box after removing puppy from box.
Take scissors from older dog & sit on them.
Remove puppy from box & put on lid.
Take tape away from older dog.
Unroll paper.
Take puppy OFF box.
Cut paper being careful not to cut puppy's foot or nose that is getting
the
way as she "helps,"
Let puppy tear paper remaining to be cut.
Take puppy off box.
Wrap paper around box.
Remove puppy from box & take wrapping paper from her mouth.
Tell older dog to hold tape so he will stop stealing it.
Take scissors away from puppy.
Take tape older dog is holding.
Quickly tape one spot before taking scissors from older dog & sitting
on
them again.
Fend off puppy trying to steal tape & tape another spot.
Take bow from older dog.
Go get roll of wrapping paper puppy ran off with.
Take scissors from older dog who took them when you got up.
Give pen to older dog to hold so he stops licking your face.
Remove puppy from present & hurriedly slap tape on to hold the
paper on.
Take now soggy bow from puppy & tape on since the sticky stuff
no longer
sticks.
Take pen from older dog, address tag & affix while puppy tries
to eat pen.
Grab present before puppy opens it & put away.
Clean up mess puppy & older dog made playing tug-of-war with roll
of
wrapping paper.
Put away rest of wrapping supplies & tell dogs what good helpers
they are.
Go to more poems.