Bonus Poem for December

Annunciation

When I got to her earthen room,

I thought, Oh God, no. Not this one.

Too young, too fragile, for this word-

made-flesh deal you’ve got brewing.

I was still a vapor having my doubts,

when I saw her look up from her book

and stare at a tree outside her window.

Something brought a tear to her eye,

which she wiped dutifully away,

then smiled. Maybe she was thinking

of a shepherd boy she liked or what

was for supper. (Even in my etheric state,

I could smell something tasty

bubbling in her mother’s kitchen.)

Then, the look on her face told me

we had the right girl for the job.

All I had to do was materialize

and tell her the story.

Lisa Vihos

A Poem for December

The Earth is My House

 

The earth is my house.

It has a strong foundation.

The sun rises on one side,

the moon on the other. Stars

are my lanterns, rain washes me.

 

The earth is my house. It knows

every season. In my foyer,

spring, where the guest

is met with small, tight buds

and the freshest green.

 

In my kitchen, summer.

Every flavor of the earth,

alive in my cupboards.

My pantry overflows

with good things to eat.

 

Fall is my study. Sunlight

slants through blinds

and thoughts turn inward,

while the pages of my books

call out, vibrant as dying leaves.

 

In my bedroom, winter.

Not harsh and icy, but tucked in

and cozy, quiet enough to hear

snow fall. A place to hibernate,

a place to dream again of spring.

 

Lisa Vihos