poems from december

No Small Thing

December 16, 2025

“oooh-snia”

Arbutus and Big Leaf Maple

walking labyrinths, smelling herbs,

and touching moss

holding onto a rope -- sharing rose, bud, thorn

lavender massage oil on my hands

and reading poetry aloud

“Wahoo!” 

hooting and hollering

playing with paints

and molding clay

listening to a song the whole way through

just listening;

singing karaoke

and remembering that I once had bands that I loved,

had songs that I listened to on repeat,

and I can still remember the words --

your voice was the soundtrack of my summer

playing game after game after game --

Five Crowns, Rummikub, pickleball --

because it’s fun

because I like it

because it’s no small thing 

to touch and smell and hear and play.

it’s no small thing to be alive, 

to like something, and 

to know that you like it. 

Communion

Dec 25, 2025

Just as serving

each other 

the bread

and the wine

so is holding 

the abalone shell,

offering the smoke 

of sweetgrass

to each other

so tender,

so sacred

a gesture

that in that moment

I daresay

two people meet

and love each other

and in doing so,

behold the face

of God.