Applesauce

Amazing the things that are found when one memory is unpacked. Unpack one today and see what comes.

My daughter thinks

She will make applesauce today.

I remember the Foley food mill:

All those apples

That made their way

Through it,

The finished product

With whipped cream

And a sprinkle

Of nutmeg

On top.

Of course back then

It seemed Macintosh

Was the order of the day,

No fancy apples;

Back then when the eggman

Delivered eggs

From the trunk of his car,

And corn

When it was in season.

I don’t remember

Who delivered the apples.

I do remember

The Foley food mill

Being allowed to make applesauce,

Then the pleasure,

Whipped cream and nutmeg

On top

The mixing it all together

Before the first spoonful.

Fifteen binders

Somehow it seems wrong to title any of my reflections. Someone may be predisposed to not take from them what they need to read. Take what you need. Release what you don't. May your life be filled with more than fifteen binders. May you not save those binders, but instead, fill your own, and then... give them away.

I have fifteen zippered binders

Of reflections,

Each in its own

Plastic page.

Then there’s the blog,

Some of which are in

The binders.

Most are not.

I tell my daughter

She may decide what to do

With anything I leave behind,

Even the reflections.

They’re all on the blog

She says.

Oh no they’re not,

I say.

What do we leave behind us?

What do we leave?

Everything encased.

Everything left.

Fifteen binders

Filled with life.

Everything does not fit

On a blog.

I know that.

I know.

Everyone has way more

Than fifteen binders

Full of life.

There is no vault

To save it all.

Lavender

The kitten prowls in search of grandfather cat, hiding on the speaker box. The house smells of lavender. Me... I am here. It is not as simple as it looks.

The house smells of lavender.

The kitten sits

On the tweed reindeer.

I read poetry

Of being here,

Simply here.

I think

If it only were

So simple.

Day five of Christmas

The wise folk are on their way

Lavender

Kitten

Tree

Wise folk

Me in a chair

With directions

On what I need to do

Until Florida next week.

Lavender

Kitten

Tweed reindeer

The cats play chase

Around the Christmas tree

Me

I am here

Here I am.

Lavender

Lavender
Lavender.

Ice day

May make it to the grocery store... eventually. Not even a day for walkers, such as me.

We may not go out today.

The daughter made it to Elmhurst,

Says she may come home.

We will spread salt

On the walk,

Food for the birds

In back.

The duck lady has launched her corn

Across the way.

I wonder if ducks slip

On ice.

We are home with the tree,

The cats,

The turtle.

Today is an ice day.

How lovely is this?

So...the day after Christmas, with the nativity on the front table, the wise men waiting to arrive, the tree decorated. the presents opened... the day after Christmas she calls and tells me the Second Coming is now. How lovely is this.

How lovely is this:

A call from a friend

Who says

The Second Coming is here.

Do I feel the difference?

Do I see him?

I hold my cup of hot coffee

In the dinosaur mug,

Warm in my hands,

Watch the duck lady.

She waits for snow

To feed the ducks,

Checks her corn supply

Every morning.

Jesus has come again,

Duck Lady.

He is already here.

Jesus is here.

How lovely is this?

More tree

The floor is strewn with ornaments, even though we mostly decorated the top of the tree. The cats each have their separate love of the Christmas tree. Grandfather cat loves the assembling, with everyone on the floor, unfolding branches. The kitten waits until everything is completely assembled.

Our tree shakes.

A kitten face appears

Among the ornaments

Next to the star 

On top.

I can almost see

The kitten disappear.

The smile remains.

It is the tree

For cats, Christmas is the tree.

The kitten has only climbed

The Christmas tree

Once.

She spends today

Freaked out

Occasionally attacking

Grandfather cat

Under the tree.

Christmas for cats

Does not include

The Nativity

Or stars,

The wise people

On their way.

It is the tree

The outdoors brought in.

The tree.

The tree.

For cats,

It is the tree.