—Anonymous Photo
BITTERSWEET CHRISTMAS (1943)
—Dewell H. Byrd, Central Point, OR
Yesterday I saw a double rainbow arching over
the school house and I marveled at the way color
did not drain to each end. I instantly felt
drawn to our old front porch filled with family,
laughter, HIS children struck by a double rainbow.
First Christmas I remember was filled with laughter:
no tree, no gifts, no tinsel, just lots of people…
relatives with fun pranks, games, stories and love.
Our house fairly shook with good cheer. Each
person received an orange, a Brazil nut, two pecans
and a piece of hard-rock candy. Cousins were wild
with excitement. Older men stood around the fireplace
discussing the war, each proud of the strong young sons
they had sent to “Kick Hitler’s butt!”
We rushed to the front porch to see a double rainbow
arching over the school house on the hill and watched
the color fade, drain away at both ends.
Silence was broken with gasps of wonder as people
smiled, touched each other and some remembered
HIS promise in living color of water and light.
Later two army officers brought a black-edged
telegram from the War Department to my Mom.
____________________
Our thanks to Dewell Byrd for his bittersweet poem today.
Poetry of the Sierra Foothills (formerly Poetry in Placerville) will host Yuyutsu RD Sharma today, 1-3pm, at the Caffe Santoro on Pleasant Valley Rd. in Diamond Springs. Or head across the Causeway to Davis Arts Center Poetry Series, 2pm, to hear readers from the new eco-anthology, Fire and Rain: Ecopoetry of California. Scroll down to the blue column (under the green column at the right) for info about these and other upcoming poetry events in our area—and note that more may be added at the last minute.
—Medusa
