The Flight Before Christmas

Ready or not, the holiday season is upon us.  Are you a thriver or a surviver?  I like to complain about Christmas craziness as much as the next person, but truth be told, I love this season of joyful chaos: the twinkling lights, the holiday music that drives my husband crazy, my children's effervescence, spending time with family and friends, and the foundation of love and generosity that underlies it all.

Oh, and did I mention the 3rd Annual Holiday Writing Contest, sponsored by Susanna Leonard Hill?  Now there's some jolly good fun to ring in the season!  The rules: write a children's story about a Holiday Mishap, mix-up, miscommunication, mistake, or potential disaster (a la Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer).  Your story may be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet, religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate, but is not to exceed 350 words.

Be sure to stop by Susanna's blog, Something for Everyone in the World of Children's Books, to peruse all of the entries.  After finalists have been selected, voting will take place starting December 16th, and winners announced on Thursday, December 19th.

I hope you enjoy reading my (330 word) entry as much as I enjoyed writing it!

 

THE FLIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

‘Twas a week before Christmas and all was not well.

While out on a test flight, the sleigh hit a swell.

An icy cold blast took St. Nick by surprise

and sent him careening through blustery skies.

Tossed this-a-way, that-a-way, capsized, upended,

a thought flashed before him as Santa descended:

What good are warm boots and a snazzy red suit,

if what you don’t have is a good parachute?

He called to his reindeer (though none were in sight),

“Come Dasher! Come Dancer!  Be swift in your flight!

Come Prancer and Vixen!  Come Comet and Cupid!”

But none of them came, and poor Santa felt stupid.

Through clouds of whipped cream, he kerplopped like a cherry;

his jolly demeanor, now somewhat less merry.

With huge, booming voice he exclaimed,

"HO HO HO!

 READY OR NOT…

 LOOK OUT BELOW!”

Unaware, until then, of the ill-fated flight,

the elves all looked up with their jaws dropped in fright.

Could it be?  Yes, it was!  Old St. Nick in free fall!

Those quick-witted elves wasted no time at all.

They worked as a team, without missing a beat,

to pile up snow, oh, at least fifty feet.

Would Santa Claus notice with everything white?

He needed a map he could read from great height.

So the elves in their hats of bright red and bright green

encircled the mound to make sure it was seen—

the red hats on one side, the green on the other.

At first they formed one word, and then came another:

the reds on the left side spelled L-A-N-D;

on the right were the green hats with H-E-R-E.

While Santa still dropped like a streak through the sky,

he saw this and gave a most gratified sigh.

He aimed, best he could, for the elves’ snowy mound

that cushioned his fall when, at last, he hit ground.

Nothing came close to the love Santa felt…

with a smile he said, “Guess I need a seat belt.”

© 2013 Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. All rights reserved.

Poetry Friday friends, there's more fun to be had just around the bend!  Please join our round-up host, Tabatha Yeatts, at The Opposite of Indifference.

Cyber Seduction

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of hosting Linda Baie in Limerick Alley.  With grace and gentleness, she bid a final farewell to autumn.  If you missed it, please take a moment to read and enjoy.

Winter is now upon us... though some of us more than others.  In Florida, we rely on indicators other than fallen leaves and plunging temperatures.  Things like the 24-hour Christmas radio stations; the store displays of holiday merchandise; the jam-packed schedule of parties, field trips, and activities; and my personal favorite (ahem), my ever-expanding email inbox.  My box runneth over with junk advertisements for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all manner of fabricated pre-holiday cheer.  My index finger is weak from clicking unsubscribe, and still the onslaught continues.  Who needs snow when you have an avalanche of spam to shovel?

Which brings me to today's little ditty: my response to that bottomless pit of paparazzi advertising.

 

Seduction

It all began

with cookies. Now

and then, you popped up

unexpectedly.   It was cute,

you were sweet, and before long

you fell into step with my digital footprint.

Just a fling, I told myself, but you wanted more:

my time, attention, undying devotion, a credit card number

and personal security code.  And then it happened.  Black Friday.

It was late. There on my lap in the bedroom, aura glowing, you

told me I was glamorous, well-to-do, elite, and that XL or XS

didn’t matter. “2-for-1,” you said, “a limited-time offer.”

So I gave you my IP address, my credit card, the

works.  Who could resist those promises,

now as empty as my bank account? 

For a time I thought we clicked,

but now I realize I did all

the clicking. And what

once was 2-for-1,

is now just me,

50% off.

May your month be merry, your shopping simple, and may the beauty of the season surround you.  You can start now.  Please join hostess Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge, as she celebrates the gifts of Poetry Friday.

Limerick Alley: Linda Baie

I've never been one for goodbyes.  
No parties, no fanfare.  
I'd rather slip away quietly, fade-out...and...cut.  
That's a wrap. 


You would think goodbyes would get easier with age and practice, but for me, they've become more difficult.  Time has become less infinite, more precious, giving me pause before moving on.

That's why I'm especially grateful for generous souls like Linda Baie, who bring attention to these passages of time--the ends and the beginnings--in a manner that comforts rather than alarms.  Linda is driven by many passions, including reading, writing, teaching, learning, living, and loving; all of which shine through in her poetry and on her blog, TeacherDance.

So delighted to welcome you to Limerick Alley, Linda!

By way of introduction to today's little ditty, Linda shared with me that she has relied on autumn as the source of inspiration for many poems this year, including her own (like this one and this one) and those written by others as well.  Now that December has arrived, she says, "it's time to say farewell to our autumn ideas."  Sigh.  I guess I'm ready if you are.

          It's goodbye to the season named fall.
          After fulsome praise -- now time for all
          yellows, oranges, and reds
          to crunch into their beds.
          Let leaves take their final curtain call.

          (c) 2013 Linda Baie. All rights reserved.

Autumn into Winter, by Sabine Rich (c) 2011

If you would like to have a limerick featured here in the future, please contact me at Michelle (at) MichelleHBarnes (dot) com, or by commenting below.

leaf-in-ice02.jpg, photograph by Nancy Ward (c) 2005

Five for Friday: Potluck Party

Another Thanksgiving come and gone.  I can tell because my heart is filled with gratitude and my refrigerator, with leftovers.

O leftovers!  I could write an ode to leftovers, I love them so much.  Just the thought of not having to cook for the next few days fills my heart to overflowing.

So today I am hosting another Five for Friday party, this time in honor of my devotion to microwave reheating.

Looking for five-word ditties (plus title, if you wish) to celebrate the blessings of a full heart and a full fridge.  Sure, not everyone loves leftovers.  Not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving either.  I get that.  But I hope you will join in nevertheless.  If not food love, you can write about something you do appreciate this time of year.  As long as it's just five words; no muss, no fuss.  Leave your contributions in the comments and I will add them here.

And hey, if nothing else, we can all be grateful for Poetry Friday, right?  Many thanks to Carol at Carol's Corner for hosting today's roundup!  I also want to give a shout out to the Two Weeks of Thanks-Giving roundup at Teaching Authors today.  You can find my own thank you note to a special teacher here.

All this writing is making me hungry.  Sandwich anyone?

Oh, that's right, we're having a potluck!  Sorry-- my brains are mashed potatoes.  Whoa!  Did you catch that?  Five words... see how easy it is?

As host, I have prepared three dishes to start us off.  Bon appetit!

Sweet Potato,

please be mine?

Cranberry Sauce: 

my autumn crush

Being together

is dessert enough

-Michelle at Today's Little Ditty


Poetry
is the best
dessert!

-Mary Lee at A Year of Reading


Stuffing!
Breadcrumbs
on overdrive!
Yum!

-Carol at Carol's Corner


Love is
the happiest
side.

-Betsy at I Think in Poems


Granddaughters-
whipped cream,
no pie!

-Linda at TeacherDance


Pumpkin Pie:
best breakfast
ever.

-Buffy at Buffy's Blog


 Delicious
mashed potatoes.
Thanks, Bob!

-Catherine at Reading to the Core


Turkey too big?
    Leftovers forever. . .

-George the (No Stinkin) Ultracrepidarian


Tonight's supper:
turkey noodle soup.

-Keri at Keri Recommends


A full refrigerator --
I smile.

One for Diane:

Turkey carcass =
So much stock.

-Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference


PECAN PIE

Who can Pecan? We can!

APPLE PIE

Apple? Gobbled in a snap!

BERRY PIE

Each bite is like sunlight.

-Julie at The Drift Record

With Thanks to My Teachers

Today I am participating in "Two Weeks of Thanks-Giving" at Teaching Authors.  Coupled with American Education Week, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to show my appreciation for the teachers who helped shape the person I am today.

One of the most meaningful compliments I received from a teacher came to me at the end of my senior year at Connecticut College, from someone who hardly knew me... or so I thought.  It was finals week.  Classes were over and graduation in sight.  As I breezed from one end of campus to the other, I bumped into Professor Gene Gallagher.  Though I wasn't a religious studies major, I had enjoyed participating in his class, Cults and Conversion in Modern America, that semester-- just a theater major with a desire to expand my horizons.

Eugene Gallagher

It was a brief exchange, a passing remark really.  A handful of seconds that somehow made a profound impact.  He said:

"You're a brave woman, Michelle."  

How I've treasured these words over the subsequent 25 years.  These words that reflected the height of my self-confidence.  Yes, I was that brave woman, passionately stepping out into the real world, keeping my eyes open to opportunity, and meeting life boldly, with intentionality.

But who was responsible for cultivating that bravery?  My parents, of course, but also my teachers.  Teachers who have always been there, nurturing, stimulating, supporting, and guiding me through unfamiliar territory, knowing me more than I thought possible, and challenging me to become extraordinary.

Since then, life, with its stencil and exacto knife, has attempted to carve away at that confidence with varying degrees of success.  These days, bravery has metamorphosed into resilience, but the passion is still alive.  Every day I strive for that peak of self-confidence to bloom again.

Today's little ditty is a thank you note.  Though simple in its acrostic form, I dedicate it to Professor Gallagher and to all of my teachers and mentors, in school and in life.  Thank you for the enCOURAGEment to pursue my dreams. 

          Believe in yourself

          Respect those who came before

          Allow the possibilities

          Venture into the unknown

          Education matters

              © 2013 Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. All rights reserved.

Pre-Thanksgiving Greetings

                                                                                     1873, US Public Domain

I'm not sure how this happened, but Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK!

Am I ready?  Heck no.

But I've been spending time in the Haiku Garden with Robyn Hood Black, and you should see the tasty morsel she's cooked up!

My family will attest to the fact that I'm not a bad cook, they might even say I'm a good cook, but convenience fare only goes so far.  Unfortunately, I can't say that I particularly enjoy my jaunts in the culinary arts-- it's one of those tasks that has fallen into my lap by default.  And when it comes to Thanksgiving, I'm not ashamed to admit that I'd rather be a guest than a host.  I'll happily bring the mashed potatoes or a nice bottle of wine.

Today's little ditty is a Thanksgiving greeting card verse that I wrote and sold to Andrews McMeel Publishing back in 2007.


                         COVER:  Turkey roasting...
                                                      Glasses toasting...

                         INSIDE:  Giving thanks that I'm not hosting.


Yep, that's pretty much me all over.  

When I recently contacted Andrews McMeel's greeting card editor to find out if the verse was ever used and whether or not I could legitimately post it on my blog, he informed me that my verse was in print for a while, but he wasn't sure if it still is.

I hope you'll let me know if you see my baby in the card racks over the coming week.  Never did see the artwork for this one, but they paid me well so I can't complain.

And now that I've tantalized your taste buds, please join Katya, this week's Poetry Friday host over at Write. Sketch. Repeat.  Everyone's invited!  Side dish welcome, but not required.

Haiku Garden: Robyn Hood Black

I'm so excited to be able to spotlight the talents of Haiku Garden's special guest today: children's author, poet, and artist Robyn Hood Black.  Robyn is a versatile writer, having published fiction and non-fiction children's books, as well as a variety of poetry in anthologies, magazines and top-notch journals.  She is also an accomplished artist with a penchant for "literary art with a vintage vibe."  I highly recommend her Etsy shop, artsyletters, as a great place to start your holiday shopping!

Robyn describes haiku as a "sparely crafted poetry which offers endless depth."  Not only do I admire her talents in this elegant and economical genre, but I benefit from her gifts as a teacher, as well.  On her website, she encourages visitors, "poets and readers of any age," to explore their own haiku journeys with online resources that include a haiku resources list, how-to guides for children, and inspiring samples of her own haiku.

On Robyn's blog, Life on the Deckle Edge, she provides even more inspiration.  Currently she is running a series called "We Haiku Here."  The series, which will continue into December, introduces us to several outstanding haiku poets from The Southeast Chapter of The Haiku Society of America.

Today, however, is all about Robyn, and with that, I give you today's little ditty:

              cold front –
              an urgent wind
              at my back

                                      -Modern Haiku, Winter/​Spring 2012

                   (c) Robyn Hood Black.  All rights reserved.

Robyn let me have my pick of haiku on her website and I selected this one because it hits me where I live.  Not only does it reflect the sudden shock of late autumn in North Florida, but it also mirrors my state of mind at this time of year-- that sense of urgency always at my back, breathing down my neck and giving me cold shivers.  Sort of like this Wind God by Japanese painter, Ogata Kōrin.

Ogata Kōrin [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Thank you, Robyn, for spending time in the Haiku Garden today.  I look forward to your continued lessons in the art of haiku, so that I, too, can condense life into potent nuggets of truth.