[stylist] Poem - "Christmas Card" - Second Draft

[Pagan Tree]

Bill, I had to reread your Christmas Card poem but, I am wondering if what
I am getting from it is what you intended. If you do not want to say, that
is fine. I know we often wish to have our work stand on its own and let the
reader deem what they will. I am going to speak up none the less. The worst
that could happen is that you ignore my intrusion into your inner meaning.
What I got from it was a person who had gone through a major conversion and
no longer believed in the premise of Christmas, but was still nostalgic
over cards from their past life and the memories that they represent. Did I
get it at all?
Well, Blessed Yule and whatever else you may celebrate. Eve

On Sun, Dec 7, 2014 at 8:18 PM, William L Houts via stylist <
stylist at nfbnet.org> wrote:

>
>
>
>
> Hey Jackie and Linda,
>
> Thanks once again for your kind comments.  When I once again took up the
> challenge of writing poetry, after about a dozen years of giving it up, my
> hope was to write material which would be useful to the reader, one way or
> another.  I'm so glad that my current work seems to be doing that. That
> makes for the three R's of poetry, I guess:  rhythm, rhyme and readers:
> LOL.
>
>
> Merry Christmas / Happy Hannukkah / Blessed Yuletide.
>
> --Bill
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 12/7/2014 6:27 AM, Lynda Lambert wrote:
>
>> Bill, I love this Christmas Card. And, it reminds me so much of the
>> theology of Emily Dickinson.
>> Bill, I would love to see you put together a chapbook!
>> Choose a theme and start digging through your poems and putting one
>> together.  I'll be first in line to buy it!
>> Your work is intellectual, intelligent, thoughtful, and the wisdom you
>> weave through the passages is something that can never be taught - it has
>> to come from within the person, for the teacher within you.
>> Lynda
>> Original Message----- From: William L Houts via stylist
>> Sent: Friday, December 05, 2014 2:43 PM
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>> Subject: [stylist] Poem - "Christmas Card" - Second Draft
>>
>> Hey Wits and Poets:
>>
>> Something for the season, I suppose.   Comments welcome, as always.
>>
>>
>> --Bill
>>
>>
>> ---
>>
>> Christmas Card
>>
>> Neither angels nor elves, their toys
>>
>> and trumpets announcing Christmas Land fun,
>>
>> but a still and sober nature:
>>
>> a buck, a rabbit, a golden-eyed owl
>>
>> arrested in stances,
>>
>> this winter commune, as actual
>>
>> as unmythed frozen earth:
>>
>> These creatures gazed, with liquid eyes
>>
>> upon a rare sky'sprophet star.
>>
>> sofree, this card, of kitsch it slipped
>>
>> my cynical guard and struck me
>>
>> crucial hard:I broke open to faith,
>>
>> and found some years the solace of bread
>>
>> and wine. I'm lying, mind,a tiny pip;
>>
>> other starbolts, too, conspired for me to take
>>
>> the Saint James plunge. I'm unchurched now,
>>
>> but how I grant that Christmas card
>>
>> a nod for herding me to Catholic pews:
>>
>> abandoned now, but cherished, kept.
>>
>> I do retain a miracle soul: respect
>>
>> the wisdom of chance and change: I dream,
>>
>> I play, I bathe, waters of love and rain
>>
>> my only church,more bloodfelt than the Dove.
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>
> --
>
>
> "Oh, Sophie!  Whyfore have you eated all de cheeldren?"
>
>
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