Christmas Spirit

When I woke up this morning I saw snowflakes Falling over trees Some seemed like ferns Others fell like diamond dusts The purest of the pure The whitest white. The crisp white snow Blanketed the ground And embedded itself To where it fell So pristine Like a wonderland. The scenery before my eyes Took me to the realm Of my childhood days It reminded me Of that little girl Way back home In my motherland Where snowflakes Never land. I went outside Wearing three layers of clothes My body was still chilled Yet, my heart felt warm And I let my mind Pondered Christmas. Suddenly an incident Long time ago Just crossed my mind My late father was holding A driftwood For our family'sChristmas tree. The little girl cleaned the driftwood Took away the scruffy branches While her mother Made the ornaments. The little brother Got some tide powder Diluted with water And made suds all over. Brother and sister Played with the suds Throwing them Into the air The wind carried And scattered them Just to be dropped In accord with the rhythm of nature Like snowflakes Falling on the ground. The rest of the suds They put them on the branches And trunk of the driftwood And they let them dry On their own They made a white Christmas tree Out from scratch The suds resembled crumpled snow Attached to the driftwood At the tip of the branches Small star lanterns were hung. Too many memories Of yerterday'sChristmases Like snow piled up They lingered in my mind Pinched my heart And brought me back To my homeland. Yet, even away from home I still fondly carry Those deep rooted Christmas traditions That bring out family's treasures And make my family circle Closer to heart. Christmas spirit binds us It closes the gap Among us Even just for the meantime And our hearts Beat as one As we celebrate The birth of Jesus Christ. Copyright 2017, Rose Marie Juan-Austin, All Rights Reserved