Christmas Cake - Nesdoly

November or early December is the time
to start on this year’s Christmas cake
 
Pour several cups of sweet anticipation into a large bowl
    - the first snowfall when we hauled out the Christmas records
    - all the dolls in the Sear's catalogue
    - paint smells from the basement
cut in a pound of cold reality
    - the year I worked nights and slept through
    - the first Christmas without Daddy
    - the one I broke my wrist
and cream these two ingredients
 
When blended and smooth 
stir in – 1 cup at a time
the plans, ideas, long wish lists, 
credit cards and shopping trips, 
decorating, light's a'blinking, 
CDs spinning, here we come a-caroling -- 
keep on stirring
 
Fold in the surprises next
    - a perfect tiny poinsettia for the coffee table
    - a leisurely lunch on the Starlight Dinner Train
    - room on a standby flight Christmas Eve
 
Finally toss in 
    - a teaspoon of worry (surely I've forgotten something)
    - and a pinch of pride (the house glows by candlelight 
while we sip our eggnog Christmas Eve)
 
Give it the final flourish 
– signed! the last (late) card of the season
and bake in a turkey-fragrant oven.
You know it’s done 
when the last chocolate is eaten
all the tinsel is vacuumed
and the house is New Year tidy once more.
 
(Guaranteed to never turn out the same)

© 2004 - Violet Nesdoly
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Web: http://violetnesdoly.com
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