If you celebrate Christmas with family, then you might be feeling two conflicting emotions this morning: boundless joy, and the desperate desire to get away for a few minutes of quiet solitude with Netflix or a good book. If you can steal away a few minutes before the festivities begin, I suggest reading one of these poems with serious Christmas vibes. I promise, you only need five minutes to get through them.
Christmas can be a difficult holiday. It's over-commercialized. It's capitalist. Between the gifts and the travel and the decorations, it's honestly just really damn expensive. But these poems all cut to the heart of what makes the season so special, despite the stress of choosing presents, buying presents, wrapping presents, and getting yourself to the holiday celebrations with your sanity mostly intact. These poems are a cheerful reminder that Christmas is — to most people — about family, about laughter, about joy, and about coming together around a big tree with sparkling lights to lovingly roast your siblings and drink warm beverages.
No matter how or why you celebrate Christmas, these poems will help you — and your family — get into the spirit of the holiday this year:
“Christmas Card to Grace Hartigan” by Frank O’Hara
"Christmas is the time of cold air
and loud parties and big expense,
but in our hearts flames flicker
answeringly, as on old-fashioned
trees. I would rather the house
burn down than our flames go out."
"& isn't the heart an ampersand" by Aracelis Girmay
"Dark
like the dark
sign of
infinity
but even more
giving, you remind us
of the heart & how
the heart would
rather die than keep
its two dark arms
all to himself;
his life, like our lives,
depend on what
is at his side."
"[little tree]" by e.e. cummings
"look the spangles
that sleep all the year in a dark box
dreaming of being taken out and allowed to shine,
the balls the chains red and gold the fluffy threads,"
"White Eyes" by Mary Oliver
"I don’t know the name of this bird,
I only imagine his glittering beak
while the clouds—
which he has summoned
from the north—
which he has taught
to be mild, and silent—
thicken, and begin to fall
into the world below
like stars, or the feathers
of some unimaginable bird..."
"Christmas Laughter" by Nikki Giovanni
"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"
