To Our Friends of Rockland and the World

Bright shining with a ring of mist

Coming out with the last of the Christmas shopping

Toys, loons and art supplies

Chill closing up our coats

But minds and hearts warming up

With some Rock City hot chocolate

Meeting Rockland’s most energetic family of bears

Who decorate the outside of their dens

For every holiday

We will be having nine at Christmas dinner

Just as my father designed the kitchen table 

Phyllis’s kitchen will get a workout

As we cook everything from lamb

To egg salad on Kenny’s biscuits

Guests from India and Russia and ancient Greece

And my oldest brother who knows the house

Who will do his comedian tricks of voice

To prepare for his trip to Alaska

To see Palin’s Russia

We think laughter will erupt

As three year old Aryan

Charms us with his songs and dances

A burden surely to be the only child at the party

But the attention will do him good

And ease our hearts

To see a bright future for our tiny planet

With this peaceful moon

Shining for everyone for free

One grim scientist

Predicted the end of mankind in 100 years

I beg to differ

Even though I won’t be around to see

There might still be hope

If we would have the sense

To bring health and food to the world

Instead of conflict

That seems so endemic

But for this Christmas

We will be safe and warm and well fed

A gathering to be remembered

At 1857 72 Mechanic 

So we wish everyone to have good cheer

Brought on by sun and moon

And the love most humans

Have for each other

So, a Merry Christmas and a lovely New Year

And prayers for peace

Kendall Merriam, Inaugural Poet Laureate of Rockland, Home, December 19, 2010 9:14 PM, Listening to “Hits of the ‘50’s”