Poetry Friday: “Christmas Tree, Three”
Today, I’m doing something I’ve never done before: offering a free gift!
A couple of weeks ago, I featured “Naked,” the first poem in my winter-themed poetry collection. This week, I’m spotlighting another poem from the collection – and since it’s getting close to that “time of year,” this is one of two Christmas poems in it! And let me just say right now, that anyone who thinks haikus are easy to write…has never written a really good haiku. This is the only haiku in the collection, yet it went through more revisions than most of the other 22 poems.
I hope it’s one of those ‘really good haikus’ I was just talking about. 
And oh, yes…the free gift I mentioned? In the spirit of giving, I’m offering TWO New Hampshire-made, handcrafted milkweed pod Christmas ornaments – a $16 value – to one lucky person. Just leave a note in the comments section below, letting me know if you’d like to be in the drawing, and I’ll draw one name at random on Wednesday, December 12! I’ll announce the winner in my Friday, December 14, blog post. (and if you’d like to purchase one for $8/ea., just drop me an email)
These really are quite beautiful, if I do say so myself…click on them, and you can see them enlarged:
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So here’s today’s three-part haiku; hope you like it. And be sure to check out all the Poetry Friday happenings with Robyn Hood Black!
Christmas Tree, Three
(haiku)
Country Christmas tree
tall and green, tinseled in light,
welcomes us inside.
City Christmas tree
in store-bought white, warmly shines
a mother’s sweet smile.
Island Christmas tree
with outstretched leaves, holds seashells
like father’s soft palm.
- © 2012 Matt Forrest Esenwine
I really like “store-bought white” and “father’s soft palm.” I can see them and feel them perfectly.
Thank you, Liz!
Like the stack of three haiku forming a poetree
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There is a nice warmth to these, feelings of reassurance and safety with mother and father, and I like the contrasts of country, city and island.
Thanks, Jama. I wanted to compare the universality of the familial quality of the holiday with the tradition of the tree…I thought a tree is a wonderful metaphor for home/parents/love.
Beautiful haikus, Matt. And so interesting too, they draw you back to read again. Those ornaments are beautiful too, I’ll buy the nativity scene one.
Oh, I’m glad you liked the poems & the ornaments, Catherine! Just shoot me an email at Matt (at) MattForrest (dot) com with your address, and I’ll send it out. Thanks!
Very lovely images, Matt. Nice contrasts, too. The milkweed ornaments are really lovely.
Thank you, Joyce – contrast was what I was really focusing on. Also glad you like the ornaments!
Hi, Matt! The island Christmas tree is my favorite of these — so inviting after a cold, cloudy day here. I’ve loved milkweeds since playing with them in a nearby apple orchard when I was a child. Never thought of making ornaments — I may have to make some myself!
Glad you liked them, Laura!
I especially love the last three lines:
“Island Christmas tree
with outstretched leaves, holds seashells
like father’s soft palm.”
- very reminiscent of my vision of ‘Father Christmas’ – the images of seashell and island are also a direct contrast to the snow, the chill, the cold. Very lovely.
Thanks, Myra…yes, I liked the contrast of the island with the ‘traditional’ snowy Christmas – because many folks don’t thjink outside of their own environment.
I love the line “like father’s soft palm,” too! Besides the fun word-play on palm, I love the image-thought of the softness of fathers, especially their palms that are sometimes depicted as a source of pain. Thanks!!
I have to echo everyone else’s appreciation of your trio, Matt! And I agree — haiku are much harder to write than some people expect! Lovely ornaments
These are great–I especially love tinseled in light. Gives me such a gorgeous image of moonlight sparkling on a snowy tree!
Thank you all for your comments! I appreciate the feedback, and am glad the imagery in my head was able to get out and onto paper!
You definitely hit on some great images here and I agree, the last three lines end the triplet beautifully. Palm in particular. I kind of imagine you jumping out of your chair when that word hit the paper. It is perfect. The ornaments are gorgeous and I can’t wait to see who wins!
You’re right, Betsy – I was smiling to myself when I hit upon ‘father’s soft palm!’
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