For Twelfth Night

Let’s gather at sunset,

bundled with boughs from trees

dead and dried and done,

an offering fragrant and crisp

to celebrate the season flying away.

While the wood is catching

and crackling, look way up

at the stars, cosmic signs

coming near at the speed of light

soft enough to hold your gaze.

They are right here to prepare

our eyes for dreams and visions

we’d miss tucked away inside

where watts hum and glare,

too bright for mysteries stirring.

So we stay out late and bear the cold

with our whole bodies, cheeks flushed

with good wine and apple cider,

breath warmed by carols that remember

God loves bodies enough to have one.

Give it a try! Celebrate Twelfth Night at Sunset on January 5th each year. Bundle up with warm drinks around a fire. Folks can bring an evergreen bough to burn on the last night of the Christmas season. Read old poems and sing carols. In the spirit of the magi and their gifts, speak some of the ways the friendships gathered have been treasure in your lives this year.