Scenes for the holidays - David Oates

Scenes for the holidays - David Oates


Christmas show, graceful dancing
“five golden rings”—
spray-painted hula hoops rattle

country graveyard
on some plots
little Christmas trees

with dad at keyboard
eight year old says yet again
“It’s MY Christmas gift!”

at Christmas parade
Bee, Train, Ladybug, all in lights —
watching parents toke

three a.m., reading in a hotel lobby—
thank God they’ve stopped
the Christmas music

church service 
ornament falls from Christmas tree
rolls

after Christmas
bright and full
recycling bins

trying to reach downtown 
blocked by Christmas parade--
Jesus!

a family reading 
of the Christmas story 
Furby® chuckles

the pine branches 
offer up the snow
Christmas gift

bare dogwood
hung with pine needles
Christmas is near

the trees hold 
their snowballs 
patiently.

clear blue day, snow-covered 
trees illuminated.  From the limbs, 
wind blows puffs of snow like  
glittering sand clouds, 
flashing in the sun. 

though the snow on the ground is melted
snowman  lingers
ignoring prognosis

icicles from car grill—
sixteen-year-old’s sparse beard          

two inches of snow
9-year-old Georgia girl 
won’t come inside

The runoff 
pauses—
icicles

David Oates is an Athens area writer, radio host, and man of many scenes. His show Wordland is heard on WUGA-FM 91.7 / 97.9 at 8 pm  Sunday, and again on Tuesday at 3:30 pm. He also hosts Wordmusic, the regular monthly event at Hendershots featuring Athens-area writers and musicians. The next Wordmusic event will be held this Wednesday December 17th beginning at 7:30 pm. Sign-up for Wordmusic begins around 7 pm.