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What It's Like Here For Christmas

Showers swept across the canyon
from the sea all day, beating on the
pale, blue-green eucalyptus trees across the way.
Our cat, briefly outside, drank rainwater from
fallen magnolia petals and leaves.
Now the rain is through, the sky Wedgwood blue,
a nearly full moon's pale gold,
hanging next to angel-wing-shaped clouds
of pale apricot hue
above San Francisco Bay,
where gold lights string beads
on the opposite shore.

By our front door a pink-and mauve magnolia blooms.
There are pomegranite-colored roses nodding by the wall,
pink flowering quince across the patio.
Across the street blue plumbago grows,
yellow acacia's just opening.
The yard, the hills, everything's green,
refreshed.  Bermuda Buttercups,
a rampant weed, have started to appear
like stars in the grass, which will soon be
a mass of gold.

The holly - dark green
with shiny red berries -
and the ivy are ready
to come inside.
The house, pretty now as a
Christmas bride, bright
with lights, a creche,
and tree,
but most of all filled
with love,  our family.

May the spirit of Christmas fill you all with hope and may next year bring us
the help we need.  Merry Christmas!!! Liz S.