Two Poems

by Lynn White

The Spirit Of Christmas To Come

The ghost slid down the rabbit hole

on a dark wintery night.

He expected to arrive in Wonderland

if such a place exists

and he believed it did,

just as he believed in ghosts and Santa Claus.

It was as he expected.

There was a full glass on a table.

He looked for a label saying:

“Drink Me”.

But there was no label.

So he drank it anyway.

It left a nice warm feeling inside him,

“spirit for the spirit”, he laughed aloud.

There was a plate of pastries.

He looked for a label saying:

“Eat Me”,

but there was no label.

So he ate them anyway,

all of them

every last crumb,

every succulent morsel of mincemeat.

He lay back contentedly

then smiled somewhat sheepishly

at the old man dressed in red carrying a large sack

who must have followed him down the rabbit hole.

He was looking none too pleased at the scene.

“Well”, said the ghost,

“Anyone can mistake a chimney for a rabbit hole

and we need a new Christmas story.”

*Originally published in Oddball, December 2019

Nativity

There are no Magi to adore them now,

the women giving birth

in ramshackle sheds

or freezing tents

or in the rubble

and cold

and dirt

of what’s left.

There are no Magi to bring gifts,

no shepherds to bring succour

to the women giving birth

in ramshackle sheds

or freezing tents

or in the rubble

and cold

and dirt

of what’s left.

Maybe artists will paint the scene

but I doubt it.

None are needed

when we can already see,

when we already know

and then we don’t see

anymore.

*Originally published in New Verse News, March 2 2024

BIO: Lynn White lives in north Wales. Her work is influenced by issues of social justice and events, places and people she has known or imagined. She is especially interested in exploring the boundaries of dream, fantasy and reality. She has been nominated for Pushcarts, Best of the Net and a Rhysling Award.  https://lynnwhitepoetry.blogspot.com and https://www.facebook.com/Lynn-White-Poetry-1603675983213077/