Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page.
Under the Tree
By Mary O’Brien
You wake me with coffee –
I wrapped gifts ‘til three.
“Ten minutes,” I moan
into my pajama sleeve.
Sugar plums danced
round the chimney with care,
ten minutes later
your hand on my hair.
It’s now 5 AM,
there’s a turkey to splay.
It’s a terrible, horrible,
wonderful day.
A giggle of memory
tickles my mind.
The one with twin bikes,
trusty training wheels behind.
When what to my bleary
eyes should appear,
you’re under the tree,
shedding a tear.
The loss of your mother
now freshly pricked.
All ornaments she gifted us
tenderly tick
on a tree heavy with memories,
some cold tonight.
Others thick in the throat,
hot with tears of hindsight.
The babies we lost,
the parents we buried,
the day that we met,
the day we were married.
The daughter, the ballerina,
the fiddler, the teen,
your year of retirement
and all in between,
are enwrapped in these trinkets
that emerge every year.
I silently thank the giver
and kiss away your tear.
Mary O’Brien writes from the comfort of her Celebrated Art Cave (spare bedroom) near Boise, Idaho. She writes weekly with Jumpstart Writing Workshops, as well as a smattering of smaller groups. She revels in looking for opportunities to capture memories and imaginings via daily life, nature and her impossibly bright grandchildren.
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