Christmas Eve is a day for dreaming.

It’s a day for putting finishing touches to decorations, for wrapping presents, for starting chocolates. For me, Christmas Eve is also a time for remembering my Dad. On Christmas Eve, last year, he left this earth, but he did not leave my heart.

And so, I am celebrating Christmas in a traditional way with my husband and two small daughters. There is a magical anticipation and there is peace in being together, even when I feel sad.

‘Mistletoe Kisses’ is the most christmassy poem I have written to date. Some years ago, I was thinking about romance at Christmas and the meaning and nature of mistletoe. After a little research, which revealed the plant was a parasite, I came up with the opening lines.

I wish all my readers a very Happy Christmas Eve and hope you enjoy the entire festive season!

Mistletoe Kisses

Christmas Poem

You said it was parasitic —
feeding off trees, mimicking snow,
rolled by the elves into crystal balls,
masking the cold resistance of berry fists.

You claimed it was poison,
refusing to touch anything but
your glass of wine, inhaling its mulled
sugar turned spice, in the face of the fire.

Holly is braver you said,
stronger and Christmas card red.
Not pale like dreamers
or cheap beads.

You laughed when I told you
it brought me peace, white
virgin fruit, symbolic of Christ.

You only believed when I kissed
you, caught the wink
of its angel light, the
chain from me to you
like stars.

K. S. Moore

Photo by stanzebla on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-SA