“I awoke with a start convinced I heard
the clatter of sleigh bells.
Ha, what a sentimental fool.
It was simply the vaccine tags on the
beagle’s neck jing-jing-jing-a-linging.
I plugged in the lights on our
lopsided tree and it dawned on me
I fall in love every day.
Standing in the sliding glass doorway as the
beagle took care of basic business
I felt this most holy morning’s chill.
Soon my wife and children would stir
themselves awake to smells of
sausage balls and piñon coffee.
Then a handful of gifts to unwrap.
I thought mercy, we made it
one more round. On that rather
earthly threshold my soul felt its worth.”
This Christmas Day by John Blase
