Esperanza

You really should come in,

sit down for a while

rest your elbows on the table

sip some exquisitely brewed Darjeeling

with just a hint of cream

The season is crowded

The sun is in hiding

The earth is sleeping

The world has gone mad

You really should

let me take your jacket

exchange it for a soft lap blanket

good conversation

about everything and nothing at all

You can leave your obligations

out on the front porch

(they’ll be okay for a while)

give me your list, I’ll hold it for you.

You really should exhale

you’ve been holding your breath

for so long

you can breathe, here:

this is the space between thoughts.

This is a place where

hope dances in the Dark

defies the absence of light

and brings her own.

______________

 
 
This week, Carmi of Written, Inc. has brought us the theme "Strangers Among Us". For many reasons, the strangest of strangers in my house is the christmas tree. I don't celebrate this particular holiday, but my daughter does- so the little critter sits in a corner and quietly glows in spite of me.
 
For me, this time of year is a time of quiet reflection. Waiting. Exhaling. Renewal. Darkness. Companionable Silence. Contemplation. Solitude.
 
For the next two days, the sun will dip lower on the horizon and scarcely surface long enough to brush the edges of the sky with the softest of distant rays. While the rest of the world is plugging in strands of lights, decking the halls (and maybe even their relatives), wrapping presents and frantically doing all the last-minute things... I'll be sipping tea, riding my fatbike, running in the snow, making snow angels and plotting a winter camping trip.
 
Need a reprieve from the madness? Stop for a moment. Breathe. Allow hope. Don't become a stranger in your own House.
 
 
 
 
*   *   *