The Twelve Days of Christmas 2011-12

--Opening haiga by Konrad Kusmirak, Poland

MERRY CHRISTMAS and Welcome to the FOURTH YEAR'S celebration OF 'The 12 days of Christmas at Lunch Break'

DAY ONE DECEMBER 25TH 2011
All the prose (ie. story of) 'Anansi and The Twelve Days of Christmas' © gillena cox 2011

It was at cockcrow, when, i started recording this story whispered to me by my muse. Come along with me. Lets explore 'Anansi and The Twelve Days of Christmas' haibun style (ie. prose and haiku verses)


"Wake up! wake up Anansi" said the Mrs Anansi.
"Our children are downstairs ripping open presents and they haven' t even been to church, nor as yet had their breakfast; Wake up! wake up Anansi " she shook him again and again.
Then, she left the room, singing softly to herself the Christmas carol "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to meeee ... a partridge in a pear treeeeee.

--Meanwhile in Germany as reported by Ralf Bröker

flickering candle
she only knows
this one song



--And in Serbia as reported by Tatjana Debeljacki

in the house of love
pleasantly and divine,
christmas eve

green Christmas tree
green blanket
and green eyes



--And in Romania as reported by Gheorghe Postelnicu




--And in the USA as reported by Adelaide Shaw

dusk coming on
on Christmas day
once more Silent Night



--And in Trinidad and Tobago as reported by Keith Simmonds

Christmas eve...
standing room only
in the cathedral

a massive turnout
at the midnight mass...
Yuletide solidarity



Many religious observers ascribe that the 'Partridge in a Pear Tree' gift is symbolic for Jesus

more about The 12 days of Christmas
Listen to the Carol here
revisit The 2010/11 Celebration Finale here

Poems and images; remain the copyright of the individual contributors


To participate COMMENT or e-mail me


OTHER INTERESTING LINKS
Kids Track Santa On Google Earth
Listen to Lennox Grey - Around The Christmas Tree

The Twelve Days of Christmas 2010-2011

HOPE YOU HAD A MERRY CHRISTMAS; WISHING YOU A YEAR FULL OF LOVE AND POETRY

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The Twelve Days of Christmas Click here to Listen to the carol...

Many researchers agree that "The Twelve Days of Christmas," was written as a kind of secret catechism and can be taken at two levels of interpretation. There is a surface meaning, and also, the hidden meaning known only to the Christians involved; where each element is a code word for a religious truth CLICK to read more...

This has been the third year's celebration (2010-2011) of The 'Twelve Days of Christmas' here at Lunch Break;

Thanks for making this celebration a success:Tomislav Maretic, Croatia; Cindy Tebo, USA; Tatjana Debeljacki, Serbia; Diane Mayr, USA; Juhani Tikkanen, Finland; Cristina-Monica Moldoveanu, Romania; Melissa Allen, Wisconsin, USA; Vasile Moldovan, Romania; Keith Simmonds, T&T;
Quentin Clingerman, USA; Devika Jyothi, India

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On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me Twelve Drummers Drumming

--Internet image from


Twelve Drummers Drumming-The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles' Creed: 1. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. 4. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell [the grave]. 5. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 6. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 7. I believe in the Holy Spirit, 8. the holy catholic Church, 9. the communion of saints, 10. the forgiveness of sins, 11. the resurrection of the body, 12. and life everlasting.


yesterday’s eclipse-
was it the ‘grinch’ who took
a bite of the moon
--gillena cox


Nativity scene
packing away the miracle
for next year
--Melissa Allen


Frozen river-
parents and children wait for
the Twelfths Day
--Vasile Moldovan


strains of music
from a distant panyard...
carnival fever
--Keith Simmonds


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Eleven Pipers Piping

the poui trees rest
clustered in greenery pending
easter’s outburst
--gillena cox


After the holidays
the dust bin is full
of naked fir trees
--Vasile Moldovan


jubilant voices
blowing in the wind...
family day
--Keith Simmonds

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Ten Lords A-leaping

gathering birdsong--
first Monday
of the new year
--gillena cox


First shadows
on the way home-
New Year moon
--Vasile Moldovan


little children
going back to school...
new beginnings
--Keith Simmonds


New Year's snow -
last night's cinders
fill the fireplace
--Cristina-Monica Moldoveanu

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Nine Ladies Dancing

new year
first Sunday --
a gentle rain

♥

the second decade
of this new millennium --
sip of coffee
--gillena cox


holiday rush
the only smile today
from the bellringer
-- Diane Mayr...


First dream of the year:
peace and quiet
in the whole world
--Vasile Moldovan


worshippers
flowing out of church ~
warm wishes for peace
--Keith Simmonds


sipping tea
i listen to
"Coffee talk"
--Devika

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Eight Maids A-Milking

glorious mysteries--
a new decade begins
1-1-11

♥

the ixora shrub
mass of greenery--
a white butterfly
--gillena cox


shadowless
falling snowflakes --
deepening peace
--Juhani Tikkanen


Peace Rally

-- Diane Mayr...


All of a sudden,
the night watcher stops to look
at the workfire
--Vasile Moldovan


fireworks
at the midnight hour ~
birth of a new year
--Keith Simmonds

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Seven Swans A-swimming

The Salvation bell ringer
there yesterday and again
today
--gillena cox


hospital corridor –
patients decorating
a Christmas tree
--Tom


THE CABIN IN THE BAY
NEW YEAR’S EVE WALZING
OF TWO TRAVELLERS.
--Tatjana Debeljacki


The last leaf
of this tired year...
a new calendar
-- Vasile Moldovan


heavy clouds
move over the mountain...
the old year dwindles
--Keith Simmonds


New Year Eve-
the early bird
goes to sleep early
--devika

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Six Geese A-laying

Santa Relaxes

--gillena cox


macaroni necklace
around grandma's neck
her face radiant
-- Diane Mayr...


Between the feasts
the snowfall covers
all the dirts
--Vasile Moldovan


Cold penetrates the body
But not the soul
Christmas lights twinkle brightly
--Quentin Clingerman


a vagrant
wearing a Santa Claus hat
and a broad grin
--Keith Simmonds

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Five Gold Rings
a strutting rooster
its already morning
his silence
--gillena cox


a snow globe
filled with the world
feeling shaken
--Melissa Allen


Santa Claus costume
lying on the pavement...
puddles of water
--Keith Simmonds

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Four Calling Birds

overcast cloud
banded outstretched wings
of low flying hawks
--gillena cox


cookies for santa
the outlines of stars
left on the parchment paper
--Cindy


a basket full of
ham, turkey, drinks, cake...
outing on the beach
--Keith Simmonds

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Three French Hens

Transition

--gillena cox


AROMA OF THE FIR TREE
TROUGH THE WOODS AND FIELDS
WHITE COVERING CLOTH..
--Tatjana Debeljacki


the week after Christmas
enough faith left
to get on the airplane
--Melissa Allen


loud carols with
the odour of baked ham
from my neighbour's home
--Keith Simmonds

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Two Turtledoves

blue skies
two doves on the wall preen
in synchronicity
--gillena cox


LIGHTENING BALLS
ARE TWINKLING THE MAGIC
IMAGINATON OF CHILD.
--Tatjana Debeljacki


Star of Betlehem -
turtledove's empty nest
hangs in the fir tree
--Cristina-Monica Moldoveanu


after Christmas
jealous of what
I gave away
--Melissa Allen


paranderos
dancing and singing
from house to house
--Keith Simmonds

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And a partridge in a pear tree

a fish scale day moon
watching over
day's clearing

♥

blue sky
much like yesterday except
for Christmas day hugs
--gillena cox


December Snow

-- Diane Mayr...


Christmas rain
the child plays
with Noah's ark
--Melissa Allen


Christmas morning...
wide-eyed children playing
by the Christmas tree
--Keith Simmonds


Poems remain the copyright of the individual writers and should not be used without permission


Thanks everyone for being part of this celebration.
--gillena cox; coordinator - The Twelve Days of Christmas at Lunch Break

Digital Nativity Story…



Auld Lang Syne - The Baron (Trinidad and Tobago Soca)

Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge

Picasso's Tomato Plant image is from Pablo Picasso Gallery Paintings(1941-73)
Between the third and twelfth days of August 1944 Picasso painted
nine pictures of a tomato plant perched on a window sill, all on identically sized canvases
Ekphrasis: writing that comments upon another art form, for instance a poem about a photograph or a novel about a film. Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn" is a prime example of this type of writing, since the entire poem concerns the appearance and meaning of an ancient piece of pottery Ekphrastic Poetry Examples
How does one approach this poetry form? Become physically comfortable and committed to a long period of time in front of the art. If possible sit in front of the work and attempt to become one with it. If you have permission, take a photograph of it and carry it with you or prop it in front of your computer, especially for the revision process. Since while writing poetry “it all depends on the questions that you ask,” ask yourself and ask the painting about the movement in the piece. What is going where? Ask about color, light, shape/form, subject/items, geometry/direction/balance, relationship/tension, taste, sound. Is anything here making noise? Is anyone/anything speaking? Can you create dialogue? Monologue? If you can’t take a photo of a museum piece, try a “naive poet’s sketch” of the piece just to remind yourself of the elements of the painting, its flow, and relationship of the subjects. Elastic Ekphrastic; Another Way Toward Poetry

Should you accept this challenge E-mail me OR add your poem at COMMENTS

If Picasso
Late summer,
Bold strokes celebrate
Pablo's harvest;
Sunny day,
The tomato plant
Looks happier;
The phone rings,
A plant paperweights
A few haiku scribbles;
This could very well
Have happened,
If Picasso was a haijin;
--gillena cox; TT

Tomato
Pablo knew that was one ugly pot.
Broken, pieced together from one, two, three
Different shards, bright shining pieces
Fashioned together with dull, with red,
With white from birth, a hand held enough
Soil to cover its bottom, to cover a seed
So tiny it was amazing the crop.
A green, then red crop, a child to mature adult.
Pasta was on his mind, pasta covered rich and thick,
Red sauce clotted with ripeness, basil and onion,
Sweet peppers, olive oil dripping rich from hot buns.
Pablo knew, it begged for wine.
--Donald Rhodes; South Carolina

The Eternal
In the tomato plant
In a broken pot
Picasso scores the
Shades of four seasons,
In a single canvas
The brushstrokes
In blue and yellow
Hides a sky and sun
Nurturing the plant for
Time eternal
--Devika Jyothi; New Delhi,IN

briefly punctuating
summer at its height
the tomato period
--Cindy Tebo; Catawissa,US

Amidst the cubes
you are the living structure.
Amongst the grey
you are my red and green.
And after all this daily dust and dumbness
you promise me a viral meal.
--Ralf Bröker, Germany


The poems in this Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge remain the property of each individual author and should not be used without permission