I do remember
That it started
Like a bubble
Deep down there
Under ground somewhere
Or even maybe
Sometimes high above
Once or twice
I do recall
It happening too
A subtle eek
An infectious smile
Of quiet understanding
I am talking
About humor actually
Which surprises us
As silently quick
As Christmas tree
Lights do when
Once plugged in
Funny thing about
Friends you don’t
Need to find
A friend attractive
And you don’t
Need to be
Close to be
Someone’s friend near
Or far ugly
Or pretty friendship
Requires but two
Ingredients to survive
Care and laughter
Call your friend
Today and laugh
They’ll know that
You miss them
A sweater some
Flannels a pair
Of fuzzy socks
One cup of
Marshmallow bobbing cocoa
A choral classic
Of familiar melodies
Glassy spheres of
Varying size and
Color a box
Full of green
Twinkling spaghetti whose
Plugs are buried
Beneath green blue
Red and yellow
Bulbs a kidnapped
Evergreen standing naked
A kaleidoscope of
Paper and ribbon
One closet stocked
Full of toys
A stack of
Holiday cards filled
With warm greetings
These are what
The holidays always
Mean to me
With each passing
Year I find
While hanging ornaments
Nostalgia rises like
Steam from coffee
Coating my spectacles
With misty memories
Some simply blur
While others produce
A tear for
Long ago moments
Christmas for me
Has become a
Time of remembering
Him then him
There him when
Let’s talk snow
Having grown up
In Wisconsin we
Learned the different
Types of snow
There’s wet snow
And dry snow
There’s blowing snow
And packing snow
There’s brittle snow
And snowglobe snow
There’s flurries and
There’s blizzard snow
There’s barely snow
And white-out snow
Snow is a
Lot like love
To most it’s
Something to avoid
But to those
That know it
Well that’s Wonderland
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 