Colorless

red, yellow, and green rock candy
white divinity,  chocolate and peanut butter fudge
bright red punch, a wreath-shaped ice ring floating about
cookies of all varieties, formed as Christmas trees
Stockings, reindeer, Santa Claus
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A Christmas tree covered in silvery tinsel
a four-color light wheel slowing turning
red, yellow, green, blue
tinting the tinsel magically
A fire burning in the fireplace
from the mantle, four surprise-filled stockings
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A bell rings, i don't think an angel was getting its wings
instead, it was the first of the guests arriving
family began to fill the house
Aunts, uncles, cousins
With each new arrival, a building clamor
voices clanging with the sounds of happiness and joy
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My mother, the quintessential hostess and Queen of the family
though the youngest of her siblings, she was the macher
not at all like glue that held them together
rather the foundation that their house was built upon
and this the scene every year at Christmas
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Through the hustle and bustle
in spite of circumstances or weather
our home was the center of the holiday season
people packed around a table
the music of laughter and cutlery drumming on china
the tinkling of ice in crystal glasses
the music of love sung by voices young and old
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Offended by this fantastical world
Reality demanded alteration
Wielding Death as its foot soldier
Reality swept in and leveled the foundation
My mother taken away on a cold day in February
I did not notice immediately
too young, too much grief
but all i had known before completely wiped away
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Life a blur in the midst of misery
days and months passing away
Then came December
Dad didn't decorate the same
the marble-topped island in the kitchen empty
just a year earlier covered with cooling fudge
there were no festive-colored candies
no cookies, no punch
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The doorbell didn't ring that year
perhaps no angels found worthy
The family, once so close
now scattered chunks of debris
A silent explosion propelling them
a piece here, a piece there
miles and miles away
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My heart remembers the Rockwell days
my soul longs to return
to that place and that time
when happiness seemed to be a constant
when family was close-knit
when love filled my heart