Welcome to Sunday Poetry.  If this is your first visit you can read about the purpose and inspiration of my Sunday poetry blogs here.

Today’s poem by Wendell Berry comes just as our December holidays begin.  How To Be a Poet is as much about a contemplative life of appreciation and connection as it is about poetry.  While it’s not specifically about Christmas or even holidays in general, the message seemed the perfect antidote to the noise and buzz of the season. It’s about sitting quietly in front of your Christmas tree instead of worrying about what to put underneath it.  It’s about staring out your frost-etched window at stars instead of worrying about stringing more and more colored lights on the trees lining your sidewalk.

I love this time of year, the connections with friends far and near, selecting thoughtful gifts, baking holiday goodies.  But the commercialization and pace bother me more and more, and each year I try harder not to be sucked in. 

“Shun electric wires. . . Stay away from anything with screens. . .”

What will Berry’s advice do to your Christmas?  If I follow it, I had better revamp my Christmas list. . .

Remember there are no quizzes here, no right ways to read or contemplate the poem we share.  Absolutely no dissecting allowed.  Just come along for the “read.”  What line, word or thought will you carry with you this week?  If you’d like to tell us where the poem took you?  We’ll listen.