Over the River

Thanksgiving inspired poem #1

It isn’t a sleigh o’er a late-autumn stream
It isn’t a peek at the Season’s first dream
It isn’t the family that travels your way
It isn’t the hearty, warm words that you say
It isn’t the cranberry sauce that you made
It isn’t that all-but-traditioned parade
It isn’t the twenty-pound bird that you roasted
It isn’t the health and the happiness toasted
It isn’t the bellowing joy at the door
It isn’t the cries of “More! Please, more!”
It isn’t that graham-crusted, golden-orange pie
It isn’t a belt loosening with a sigh
It isn’t the football (but don’t tell the men)
It isn’t spiced coffee served in the den
It isn’t the day-after Holiday Sale
It isn’t the centerpiece with a four-finger tail

And yet, it’s all of these memorable things
All bound and wrapped up with plain poultry strings.
The Thanks of the entire year, in a way,
Dressed and stuffed into one fourth Thursday.

It’s hard to sustain this feeling all year,
But the path to fulfillment is really quite clear.
The secret - one only needs to remember
To give thanks each day, like that one in November.

© Jeff Wilson, 2005