That Crazy Old Lady by Barbara Leonhard

Photo © Barbara Leonhard

That Crazy Old Lady

still has her Christmas tree up!

Indeed! Been three years now.

The LED lights haven’t failed to sparkle

at passersby walking their dogs

and children playing in the park.

The few music students continuing

since COVID struck

blink several times

as they arrive weekly for lessons

to see the tree still waiting

for more Bluegrass tunes.

The bluebird pecking

at the picture window each spring -

Does it want to nest

in the tree’s brilliant branches

alongside the crystalline angels

and shimmering orbs

on artificial branches?

My tree, fake news? Hardly.

As my gaze rests there,

I’m spared headlines of disease,

mass shootings, bombs marked

“For the Children”, the inflictions

of ‘isms’, the forays of fear.

My Christmas tree,

determined to stand

until kindness and forgiveness

light up this world again.

© Barbara Leonhard

Nominated by Paddler Press for a Pushcart in 2023. 

This poem appeared in Paddler Press’ volume “Grace Notes”.

Barbara Leonhard is the author of Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir and co-author of Too Much Fun to Be Legal. Her poetry has received awards and honors from Well-Versed 2021 and Spillwords Press. She’s a nominee for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Trending Poets named her Poet of the Year 2023. Some of her poems have been translated into Italian, Albanian, and Chinese. Barbara is the Editor for MasticadoresUSA, the Co-Poetry Editor for LatinosUSA-English Edition, and the Editor for her literary journal, FEED THE HOLY. Her blog: Extraordinary Sunshine Weaver.