Christmas Laughter

For all of us who love poetry — for all of us who love the beautiful expression of emotional truth — Nikki Giovanni’s death this week has been the silencing of a great and powerful witness. She wrote compellingly about the realities of race and gender, politics and sex. Her poems often make me catch my breath in recognition of something that I’ve felt but never put into words.

Nikki Giovanni’s writing was also joyous, full of laughter and delight. I’ve reacquainted myself with her Christmas poem this week. While she speaks of Santa Claus, not Jesus, I believe that Jesus would greet this poem with a knowing smile of recognition. Throughout his ministry, again and again, he enjoyed celebration, and loved a good party! I believe Jesus would feel completely at home in the Giovanni household.

May these last two weeks leading up to Christmas bring you moments of simple joy, of smiles, and of love, even in the midst of hard news in the world and, for many of us, in our lives.

Christmas Laughter by Nikki Giovanni

My family is very small

Eleven of us

There are over 80

There are over 60

There are over 50

Two of us are sons

Come Labor Day the quilts

are taken from the clean white sheets

in which they summered

We seldom have reason

and need no excuse

to polish the good silver

wash the tall stemmed glasses

and invite one another

into our homes

We win at Bid Whist

and lose at Canasta

and eat the lightest miniature Parker House rolls

and the world’s best

five cheese macaroni and cheese

I grill the meat

Mommy boils the beans

Come first snow the apple cider

with nutmeg…cloves…cinnamon…

and just a hint of ginger

brews every game day and night

We have no problem

luring Santa Claus

down

our chimney

He can’t resist

The laughter

Blessed Advent, everyone!

Pastor Barb