TheBanyanTree: christmas eve

[Mike Pingleton]

late breakfast at Panera
(cranberry walnut bagel,
deepest darkest of coffees),
poised on the cusp
of the day's last errands.
rain rolls down the plate
glass window, light but
steady for the second day
and did we dodge a
snow white bullet or what?
at the next table a boy
about ten is telling his
his grandparents all about
the battle of gettysburg
stories of soldiers and
what some kid at school said
and I'm a fly on the wall,
he's telling them about the books
he likes to read and grandma
and grandpa are hanging on
every word and it's obvious
that they're together for the
holidays, there's no angst or
discord and they're open to
each other in that loving way
that skipped generations have
for each other. oh, I'm not
ready to go just yet, grandma
says, and neither am I, their
chatter a balm,
their presence a peace,
an unexpected present
on this eve of eves.