November Poetry Challenge: 30/30: Unwrapping the Ornaments

And finally, here is poem #30 of 30 in my November Poetry Challenge. It has been a fun ride for the most part. There have been evenings that I've sat here in front of the computer screen, at a loss for words. And there have been nights where the images wrote themselves. But I've managed to churn out something resembling a poem for 30 days in a row! Some are quite good, some are not so wonderful, and most are probably somewhere in between. But almost all of them wouldn't have been written without my annual challenge pushing me on.

Thank you so much, those of you who have been reading and cheering me on. The feed back has kept me from throwing up my hands in frustration on those nights when the words were awfully slow to come out of hiding.

See you again next year?




Unwrapping the Ornaments

Choose some mellow holiday music,
brew a mug of honey sweetened tea,
and turn on the colored lights that wind
around our man-made pine tree.
All set? Yes. It is time for
a cherished seasonal ritual.
I put the large plastic tote on the table,
and carefully crack open the lid.
Inside are layers and layers
of tissue paper wrapped treasures.
The cheat sheets are on the top.
Almost every single ornament
has a pencil scribbled entry--
who it was for, and from,
and what year it was given.
But I won't need them today.
For each sparkling prize
holds vivid flashes
of memory.

Unwrap...here's the stained glass unicorn
from my high school crush.
I'll hang that one up front and center.
Unwrap...there's a glass globe
with a dusting of fuzzy fake snow.
That one was on my parents' first tree.
Ah...here's a whole cache
of hand made gems.
I have a very talented family!
Unwrap...be gentle! It is the precious
glass pine cone
from Grandma's tree.
Unwrap...A lacy leaf that I picked up
on family vacation through Yellowstone...
and here are the herons
from Sioux Narrows. Same trip? Ummm...
(Ok, I'll check the cheat sheet.
Nope, different trips.)
Unwrap...Ah ha! The unassuming
white plastic ball, found in the attic
in my grade school New Jersey home.
I claimed that one fair and square.

Unwrap....
unwrap....
each uncovering of old friends
brings bemused smiles
and moments of quiet reverie.
My hands pause,
touching my past,
turning people and places
over in my mind.
And then, I place the jewels
just...so...
on the twinkling branches,
and ring them round
with an exuberance
of golden tinsel.
There...finally complete.
Again.

My Christmas tree may be artificial,
but it does grow beautifully
year to year,
and its roots go so very,
very deep.


Melissa McCollum
11/30/2010

November Poetry Challenge: 29/30: Spinning my Wheels

Here's poem #29 of 30 in my November poetry challenge. One more to go, and I'll have made it! The goal was to write 30 poems in 30 days. And I haven't had to resort to bad haiku once this month. Yet...



Spinning my Wheels

There's many an afternoon
I just sit here,
spinning my wheels.
Mind drifting,
meditative...
hands wandering through the same
sequence of actions again...again...
unthinking motion...
foot tapping...tapping...

...and fiber slipping soft
and sure through my finger tips,
transforming into luscious
lengths of pettable, practical
hand-spun yarn.
Because, for me?
Spinning my wheels
is a wonderfully
productive activity!


Melissa McCollum
11/29/2010




(Yes, that is me in the picture, taken a few weeks ago while I was modeling for a life drawing class. I got 2 1/2 bobbins spun up that day, and the students came up with some cool artwork as well. A win all around.)

November Poetry Challenge: 28/30:The Hunter

My kids say I have a secret superpower--I can track things down. All it takes is time, patience, and a discerning eye...which leads us to poem #28 out of 30 in my November Poetry Challenge.

The Hunter

Lurk...scan...look again...
That one? No...
too common to bother...
too far away...
too much...
that one is broken...
yes? no, can't use it now...
OOh? Perk...Maybe?
...pounce! and...nope.
Came up empty.
Dang. Waited too long.
Back to the slow stalk...
days...weeks...
be patient...wait for it...
There!! That one is perfect!
"Hello? I'm calling
about your ad on Craigslist..."
A quick dash...and...YES!
The primal hunter
lurking deep in my genes
grins with the exhilaration
of a successful hunt.
Drag the spoils
back to my studio lair,
gloat, evaluate,
and then...maybe...divide the bounty
with my chosen tribe.

After I take
first pick
of the kill.


Melissa McCollum
11/28/2010

(This was today's find. 63 light weight leather hides that will make great gloves or garments. I look forward to working with them...eventually. Right now, I'm just hovering over the new addition to my hoard.)

November Poetry Challenge: 27/30: Contemplating the To-Do Lists

Here's poem number #27 out of 30 in my November challenge. My mind was in spin cycle tonight, running over all the various things I just need to get done over the next few months...



Contemplating the To-Do Lists

Sign the cards, find the addresses,
dig out the boxes,
set up the tree, the lights,
(need to run to replace dead strands...)
ornaments, tinsel, creche, stockings...
Buy the gifts, wrap, mail...
This year cookies for sure, and fudge, and...
...and Christmas will happen
and will be Merry
even if I don't get every bow tied.
Relax.

But then I need to get ready
for the New Year's Eve party!
Clean the house, find firewood,
tweak the hot tub, send out emails,
get new games, find crash space,
figure out a menu,
drag out the coolers, and...
...and the New Year will come,
shiny and complete,
even if I don't get the party favors.
Relax.

But, Estrella is right around the corner!!
Get everybody pre-registered,
track down who is in camp, tetris their tents.
I want two more outfits,
Kevin needs pants, Eric needs shirts.
So much pre-cooking to do I should start freezing now
and I need to weave an arts entry! And...
...and Estrella will be a marvelous
gathering of chosen family,
whether or not I get that tunic sewed.
Relax.

Thanksgiving has passed,
which means I'm deep into crazy season.
For the next two and a half months
I'm up to my eyeballs juggling, organizing,
people are depending on me
and there just isn't enough time! And...
...and every detail doesn't need to be perfect.
What gets done will be enough.
The gatherings will still make memories
full of sparkling laughter and joy.
...Relax.


Melissa McCollum
11/27/2010

November Poetry Challenge: 26/30: Soup

Yup, I made up a batch of soup from scratch today. My tummy is very happy, and it gave me the inspiration for poem #26 in my November challenge. I'm looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow. It should be even better then.


Soup

Some days
...ok, probably too many days...
I get by on drive through bags,
frozen dinners, take out
pizza, and restaurant offerings.
I'm in a hurry. Too tired.
Out with friends.
Feeling lazy, uninspired.
But while the grab and go
feeds the body,
every now and again
my soul
tells me it is high time
to slow down, and simmer
up a big pot
of simple peasant-fare soup.

Lets see...I'll need some liquid.
Reach into the freezer,
and pull out the zip lock bags
full of the picked over bones,
left over from those quick
grocery store roast chickens.
Into the stock pot, cover with water,
simmer a few hours, and strain.
And already, the house
smells like
a welcome home.
Something primal in me
straightens, sniffs,
and smiles.

A source of protein,
a batch of vegetables,
and some starch...
This is the fun part
as I scrounge around
the pantry and the refrigerator
for whatever strikes my fancy.
Lentils, the rest of the chicken.
Baby carrots, frozen corn,
dried mushrooms.
Noodles, rice,
dehydrated potato slices...
Ooh...that looks good.
Chop it up, add it to the mix.
And then a shake of Italian seasoning,
and a dash of white pepper,
a bit of rosemary,
and...hmm...this smells good.
Toss it in too.

And the longer it goes,
the richer the mix becomes
...and the more relaxed I get.
Time...slows.
As my hands chop and stir,
I can feel my motions
echoing back through time.
How many women
in how many generations
have cared for the heart of their families
with a similar simmering pot?
Yes, I could buy a can of Campbell's.
It would be much faster.
But I'd miss this gentle magic
of creating rib sticking nourishment
out of bits of seeming nothing.

And then, with a quiet
happy sigh, I sit
down to the table
and ladle out my liquid comfort.
I add couple of thick crusty slices
of hot buttered french bread,
and some nice sharp cheddar cubes.
And steep a steaming mug of tea
for good measure.
And then just sit,
and sip,
and savor,
in a timeless moment
of quiet contentment.

Yes. I needed that.
Tomorrow, I can return
to my usual headlong dash.
But today,
I'm having
Soup.


Melissa McCollum
11/26/2010

November Poetry Challenge: 25/30: A Thankgiving for my Family

Here's poem #25 in my November poetry challenge. I hope you all had as wonderful as day as I did!



A Thanksgiving for my Family

Just a typical Thanksgiving dinner.
My daughter was home from college,
and my brother and his family flew in,
so there were 11 around my parents' table
for turkey and stuffing
and card games.
I took pictures,
even though they'll look pretty much
like last year's shots,
and the years before that,
back through pretty much all my life.
I take it for granted sometimes...

...but not tonight.
Tonight I'm thinking of my uncle's
family dinner,
as they deal with the aftermath
of his illness. He's back physically,
but his brain is still drifting in transit.
And I consider my friends,
with an empty seat at their table.
It is their second Thanksgiving
without husband and father.
And there are the folks I know
who grit their teeth
and brace themselves
for their obligatory
family gatherings,
with their inevitable
soul ripping
fights.
And the ones
who for their own health
and mental survival
have cut blood family
out of their lives entirely.

Tonight,
I don't take my picture perfect
family Thanksgiving
for granted
at all.
I am so blessed
that my folks are still with me.
That my brother and I
can share jokes and stories.
That there is laughter, and honest delight,
and layers of family history to enjoy
and to pass on to our children--
who are soaking it all in
with grins on their faces.
Asking for more.

Today
I am incredibly Thankful
for my unusual,
wonderful
family.
And I will cherish
each and every year
that we can gather
together
at the Table.


Melissa McCollum
11/25/2010

November Poetry Challenge: 24/30: Thanksgiving Eve

Poem #24 of 30. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!



Thanksgiving Eve

I step outside for a moment
into the crisp midnight air.
A haze of high clouds
slips silently over
a ringed, glowing moon.
I can smell wood smoke
adrift on the dark.
I pause...motionless...
listening to the stillness
until the chill brings me to shivers.

Coming back into light and warmth.
I am wrapped in
the thick sweet scent
of pumpkin pies
cooling on the counter,
and the cinnamon laden apple slices
slowly cooking into tomorrow's breakfast.
A smattering of other ingredients
lies scattered on the kitchen table,
patiently waiting for dawn.

The family is snug asleep.
Tomorrow I know we'll drag out
old bespattered recipe cards
in our annual ritual
of giggling kitchen mayhem, told
and re-told stories, and shared connections.
But tonight...tonight I stand in serene solitude,
sending down roots, and feeling
the pulse
of the year.


Melissa McCollum
11/24/2010