When Christmas is Distant
Almost, but not quite
It’s that time between the ice-folds,
when the festive season is three steps to the left.
I watch it close in,
yet,
it’s an inch too far to make me dance.
So,
I light a candle,
hunker down,
and breathe in cinnamon and orange under a gray sky.
In the distance,
carols and bells.
In the moment,
early mince pies and mulled wine.
