It’s Christmas 

It’s dawn thisChristmas morning, 2016.

Here in Texas, it’s seventy degrees as

red fingers of dawn streak through the trees. 

The Sycamore leaves, dried brown and crinkly, still cling to its fifty foot span,

each passing breeze sends one or two more drifting below where they 

gather informally like the early arrivals at a cocktail party.

The leaf man will wait until the party is over

to complete 

his task…

Inside the Christmas tree is festooned with ornaments that were gathered over a lifetime,

naked underneath 

as children grew and no longer scurry with excitement before dawn

to search for gifts beneath its boughs. 

The lights glow 

casting colorful patterns on the 

smooth porcelain tiles,

entertaining this aging woman

with bittersweet memories

of six plus decades 

of Christmases past.  

Nancilynn Saylor 2016

9 thoughts on “It’s Christmas 

  1. Gorgeous contrast of our warm Texas Christmas vs “standard seasonal expectation” (not that we in Texas are surprised!) – especially love the leaves arriving one by one like early arrivals at a cocktail party. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

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  2. Lovely, Nancilynn. I’ve lived in Texas for 50 years, now, and can’t remember when Christmas wasn’t warm and without snow. I’m used to it now. Maybe I’m becoming a Texan.

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    1. I’ve lived here a little bit longer, Sam, I remember very cold Christmas times but more that were “barefoot” than boots! Merry Christmas to you and Tony!

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      1. The local weather person noted that there was snow on Christmas in Texas in 1957, I believe, was the year. That was before my time here. Do you remember? Or maybe it was too localized to be seen everywhere. Anyway, Merry Christmas to you and yours and enjoy the day however it is.

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      2. I know about 5 years ago it snowed on Christmas in Corpus Christi where my sister lives. Those people went nuts they were so excited!

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