Stopping to look through old Christmas cards

O ld Christmas cards--
L ovely pictures: wreaths, angels, Santa--some
D azzlingly glittered, stylized or serene. Fronts

C ut away from messages--unless
H andwritten and signed notes appended.
R eading them these ten years later,
I travel mentally to places we lived--
S ome years in Arkadelphia, some in Benton. I
T hink of friends who've since died; several
M essages from a poet now in assisted living--
A ll notes set aside to add to
S crapbooks with memories on every page.

C ards become dated,
A lthough
R emembrances
D o not fade-- yet.
S tream through my heart, O friends. Stay.

c Dec 5 2009 lovepat press