O Tannenbaum,
holding warm memories.
Mother’s eggshell thin glass pink bell,
father’s fragile airplane ornament,
each almost one-hundred years old.
Brother’s handmade Santa
with sparse cotton beard,
seventy-seven years old.
Family long departed from earth,
always here this beautiful season,
illuminated on my tree.
Written for dVerse, the virtual pub for poets around the globe, where today Lisa asks us to write a poem of exactly 44 words, sans title, that includes the word “warm” – or a form of the word.
Yes, our Christmas tree is up! And always hung first on the tree, are my three most precious and fragile ornaments: the pink bell was given to my mother’s parents when she was born; the airplane was given to my father when he was about five; and my brother made this Santa Claus when he was in first grade. He was nine years older than me and tragically died of a massive heart attack at age fifty-one – before either of my parents died. All three have been gone for many years. I always hold my breath when I open the box to see if these ornaments have made it to another year. Many other meaningful ornaments on our tree – I actually call it our memory tree. The Unicorn marionette was made by my daughter when she was eight, forty years ago. The orange giraffe with white bird on its head, to the right of the unicorn, was a wooden piece from the mobile that hung on my children’s crib: daughter now forty-eight and son now forty-six. There’s a traditional red ball ornament that has Lillian printed every-so-neatly on it, made by Mrs. Boomer, my first grade teacher. I’m now seventy-five. And so it goes. That’s a cream-colored garland I crocheted many many years ago. I love putting up my tree.
lillian the home poet 
The warmth of Christmas is already being felt and wished for. Great narratives and pics Lillian!
Hank
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Wonderful memories and every ornament holds a story…thanks for sharing, Lillian!
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I enjoyed your lovely memory tree, those ornaments have a way of warming the heart.
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Old ornaments always bring the warm fuzzies, this was great! 💝
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Those ornaments are treasured memories and worth more than gold. Can’t wait to get my tree up and put my treasures
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Lillian, your tree is so lovely and it beams with love. The pink bell and your crocheted garland are my favorites. You’re a special lady to keep those treasures safe for these years.
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A great post, Lillian. A tree full of memories. I love the back story of your ornaments. I still hang tree ornaments from my students some say 1988 and others simply a name. So much fun to remember those gifts from the past. You have a gorgeous tree!
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Thank you for sharing your Christmas tree pictures and all the memories that go with the decorations, Lill. How did you manage to keep them so long? You’ve warmed the cockles of my heart this chilly, damp morning. I’m leaving our tree until I get back from visiting Ellen and the boys.
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Gorgeous memories.
Thanks for dropping by my blog.
Much💜love
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Beautiful!
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Such special keepsakes. Thank you for sharing them with us. They definitely warm the heart. Happy holidays!
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Love all those memories you may have in ornaments like that. We do have a few, but usually don’t have a tree…
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My goodness such breathtaking pictures! 🥰 Such an evocative poem this is, Lillian. 💘💘
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Lillian, your tree looks lovely decorated with warm memories!
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A tree of memories. Thanks for sharing these precious photos!
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