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Tuesday, December 19, 2023

 

EPIPHANY

 

And in an afternoon

She had taken Christmas down

And returned his life

To her version of normal

 

His take

Something sounded right about

Bringing Christmas down

 

CWK

DRK

2/7/18

12/29/21

   HOLIDAY TRAVELS

We primped and prepped 
For holiday events
That came
Rocked and rolled
Then left so fast – 
    to the last tree needle swept

I decided to examine where they went

The white Christmas which arrived on cue
Took five when warm winds and rains
Sent snowmen, in a panic, running
To
    the
        city’s
            drains,
Their graveyard of arm litter

                u
Sticking    p 

In the little snow that remained

Our out-of-town revelers traveled
Once the holidays died 
Back home, the phone verified
Their colds, flu and holiday blues
Had hitch-hiked to make new friends 

Holiday foods, once so proud
Are now huddled in the cold
Their trip to the disposal
Delayed a day or two

And those festive wrappings and bows?
In the basement, stowed
Or led to the curb, awaiting years        
Of breaking down barriers
with new landfill neighbors

The tree, undressed
Was let free, free to be
 A green recyclee                                        

But there the trails...begin to fade                                     

Interpretations made
About Christmas,
Hidden in memories diverse,
Left when our visitors Dispersed                                                                   
 
And somewhere, misplaced,
Is my taste 
For outrageous
Holiday decor

Dennis R. Keefe
February 26, 2009

 

 

          WE MADE IT



                                                Out the window, snow
                                                Mother Nature inhales; pause
                                                Then a whiteout blow


Leave by nine.  Arrive by three
Settle in
Get to Marquette to see
The U. P. 200 begin

Well, maybe by five
Or before dark
. . . .  Whenever

Lake effect advisories
Blizzard conditions closing roads

Do you believe in miracles?

Lunch at Grayling and the snow began
I-75 going north
Hannah and Alyssa benched -- Plan B
With compliments to the teens
From here on in adults would take the wheel

Lake Michigan snow bands taking turns
Left to right across the windshield
One minute, drive 70, the next, 35
Somewhere up ahead through the swirl
A five-mile long suspension bridge we cannot see

Miracle one, hello U. P. 

West on US-2
North of Lake Michigan’s blow
Catch our breath and a view

The beach, ocean-sized, iced as far as you can see
Rough-hewn ice dunes
Blocks, chunks and shards on shore
Further out, wind-swept clean
Unreachable but skate-able smooth

North again, M-77, zeroing in on Munising
Now Lake Superior hails us with its howl

Sing with me . . .
All day, all night, Marianne
Bands of snow
On the map, Marianne

God bless our rider’s holy bladder
Stop at a Krist station in Munising
And text check with party three
Coming up from Chicago, Louie
Missed a snow-blasted turn sign and is now nearby
Krist Two -- east
We were west

Miracle two, a cross-town family rendezvous

Time to caravan
Three on the way to Au Train Bay

Heavy snow, closed road, detour
Aaron on the phone, Liz navigating
Creeping, nearly piggy-back, through the snow-white black
Following flashing hazard lights in the dark  
Down a woodsy, winding road
Our target, the lane to Au Train lodge

Goal in sight.  To the right?
Up the lane, one last hill
But our van, the cow’s tail
Unable to follow the other two
Spun its wheels to no avail

Sitting, mulling what to do
When, gasp, over the hill
One and two retracing tracks
Four headlights aimed!
We’re a sitting duck

Brace!   
Last minute absolute worst!

Swerve!  Left!  Bump?

Course, corrected
Straight ahead down the hill

Miracle three, the lodge,
. . . Breathe

Let the Presidents’ Day holiday weekend begin

Hannah, disappointed
Missed the Friday night start of the race  
But quickly settled in
And helped us explore the sturdy embrace
Separating us from the blowing snow
And angry, roiling trees outside

Inside, a two-fireplace bonus
With spacious kitchen
Room to spread  
Three carloads of people
And a long weekend’s supply of things and snacks

Liz, on her game,
With pre packed mac and cheese, chicken salad
And generous servings of wine
Organized

Miracle four, our first meal

About that race

Images on TV of a snowy Marquette crowd
Downtown Friday night
Sending off fourteen twelve-dog teams
Yapping to get underway
120 miles east to Grand Marais
Mandatory halfway rest
Return Saturday night for a Sunday morning finish

Aaron and the girls, Saturday, caught up with the teams in Grand Marais
Then paid their respects to
The Great Lakes Brewing Company
And The Breakwall Bakery and Café

That night, same crew
Midnight along the run back to Marquette
Huddled around a barrel and fire

Viewing teams
At a designated interception spot  

            Sled dog racers
            Don’t do ovals with bleachers
            Be prepared to watch them run at night
            As the dogs can overheat
            But enjoy the bonfires and hot chocolate

Back at the lodge, Meme and Papa kept the fireplaces going
The front stoop scooped
And were just thankful to be

Up north

Sunday, on the way to see the finish
Clear roads and sunshine
We could finally appreciate Lake Superior’s winter scenes

Pause at Lakenenland Sculpture Park
Interception point and junkyard art
One team quietly making its way 
Forty minute wait for the next

So on to Marrquette
With its snow white hills and frozen bay
Traffic going about its way
Stay out of the way, Trolls
These Yoopers do it on ice every day

The trail’s finish, lined with bales of hay
Ambience and seats to see
The lead team swing to the right around the bay
Toward our noisy cowbells and cheers

Ryan Anderson, Ray, Minnesota, bib number 13

Interviewed over the P. A.  
While handlers arrived
To move his dogs to their trailer rig
Treats, rest, and a chance to be
Harness and booties free

Bib 5 from Quebec now claiming second place

For us, that ended the race
We retired to Doncker’s Candy Shop
For sandwiches, soups, coffee and pop
Skipping the flavored phosphates
We opted for Jilbert’s Ice cream, a local favorite,

Back at the lodge, late Sunday
A beachfront explore
For those under seventy
A bonfire on a snowy pyre
Burned its way down
Sinking toward the beach
Somewhere lower

Alyssa’s pictures captured the rugged wonder
Of Lake Superior’s icy tundra

Last order of family fun, Sunday evening jam
Clarinet, tuba, ukulele and trombone
The Base Layers quintet tuned, spooned, jugged
But mostly mugged for the cameras

Monday morning whirlwind
Clean up and pack

Then back up the slippery snowy lane
And several attempts
Back onto the road again
Tiptoeing through the elements
South and East across the U. P.
Thankful for the many snowplows
That kept the roads snow free

Once across the bridge  
Improved weather let us travel quickly south
And gradually back to last week's reality
While our thoughts began to brew  
Memories of the adventure

We made

With the help of a miracle or two


DRK
Presidents’ Day weekend, 2016

 

A STABLE ENVIRONMENT

Pre Christmas ice was
our morning rise surprise.

Awakened to broken trees
and the creeping news,
hour by hour,
of the power of power.

Neighborhoods, 
in the lurch,
were left in the throes 
of holiday prep.

Driven by winter’s grip
and disabled heaters into the dark
they made their way —

    one flashlight there poking about.

No traffic light control
encouraged courtesies,
patience and taking turns.

All in search of
warmth, light,
wi-fi, TV,

refrigeration, the irony

or any
helping hand.

Decorated homes, unable to glow their mystery,
raised the issue of nativity quality without electricity.

One of the lucky spared 
we, in the midst of chaos,
somehow kept our balance

and in fact, gained new found power,

winners in the game
of who is the helper
and who the helpee. 

Blessed with beds,
couch and floor space availability
we could adopt an open door policy.

Then from the east appeared

chain saws, strong backs and good will
removing neighborhood tree debris.

And uprooted friends,
    cooks in need of a kitchen,
    willing and able
    to spread our table,

    snow shovelers and story tellers
    lightened and brightened the day.

Long story short, as Christmases go,
this was the best

or at least
among the top two.

Our decorations even thanked us
for their expanded venue.


DRK
Christmas, 2013

 

 

OW, CHRISTMAS TREE

This will be short
Like our tree
Its scraggly bottom
Lopped

In and out of the tree stand

Needles swept and re-swept

Hundreds of lights redone
Trimming the top
A snap

My wife’s magic spun
The stubby jewel
Still
Framed by the window
Fills the room

Warm

DRK
12/7/17

  OH, CHRISTMAS TREE

“I love it, the best we’ve ever had
Do we have to take it down?”
So we said last year and, it seems, every year

This year, a little different
Boxes in the basement
Hide forty-seven years of treasures
Lost in a tangle of angels

Time to organize
Get it out and on the tree
Then in a week or two
Sort through
Toss, share, save a few

This current tree
Not our best, lacks symmetry
Shedding needles way too soon
And has never had that aroma
That hits you entering the room

Instead of crisp and pert
Its shoulders droop
With the weight of holidays past

Red yarn threaded through a styrofoam peanut
Three pieces of wood, nailed twice — an airplane
Pieces of felt with pictures glued, each child 35 years ago

Where will it all go? What will go? What will stay?
Packages of treasures on the way
To the rest of the family tree

Next year, something more designer maybe
But by whose hand?
A commercial brand?  
Clean rug, needle free
 
Stay tuned.  We’ll see
How future trees help celebrate
As we accumulate more
Anniversaries

DRK
Christmas, 2015

 

 

CHRISTMAS TREE 2022:

LEANING TOWER OF TREEZA

 

‘Twas the night before

Checking the stores

Fake trees, perfect 

Are you into perfect?

 

Give Mother Nature a chance

Pick a tree

Put up the tree

Put up with the tree?

 

Did we shop too hurriedly?

A knot on the bottom gives it a twist

 

Wrestle-mania   

Break the stand

Round two

De-light

Outside into the cold again

Lop the knot

At last, stand-up straight-able

 

Find our other stand

The one with the center post

Drill a hole in the tree

To fit over the post

Bring it in from the cold

 

Re-dress

Thank Carole for the warm lights

Times two

And son, Aaron, for bringing his tools

 

In the neighborhood? 

Drop by 

You may be grabbed

By our tree’s

Perfectly imperfect

Pinetree personality

 

 

DRK

11/27/22

12/6/22

 

COME AND GO

Snow, freshly fallen
Sidewalks and drive, shoveled free
Beauty's in your eye

DRK
1/18/20

 

 

 

 

LIGHTING A MALL PALL     

Antlered,
belled, trimmed in red
– oversized poster glam
in a men’s wear store --
a lifeless image
modeling holiday hospitality
fostered, for those on the move,
the illusion
of cheer.    

Seated at a cafe’,
I returned the stare
inert.

A woman stooped to greet a child
then eagerly await
news of his day.
Her focused smile,
filtered through tangled hair,
decorated my Christmas holiday.


Dennis R. Keefe
April 29, 2008

Monday, November 20, 2023

 

GHOSTS IN THE QUAD

We                                                         
drift in unseen
to view vacant places
when others leave.

Podiums, distinguished chairs,
or various labs –
once our commands –
now, haunts,
hallowed campus spaces

through which we used to volley
lectures, handouts,                                  
and other old tools of the trade
at targets
claiming to seek betterment.                

Now we catch our wind,       
amazed at today’s ways
passing through
our faded substance.
                              
With no grindstones to nose,
we enjoy the pleasures
of gardens, bookstores, libraries,
old pathways and cafes, 
and scavenge for hints of the leavings,
we once thought useful –

enough to will to a future –

which now requests

money.      


DRK
7/29/09
7/7/16