Location: United States
Member Since:
May 16, 2011
Linda Allbritten
Smashwords book reviews by Linda Allbritten
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The Spirit of Christmas in Poetry
on Dec. 22, 2011
(no rating)
I loved the bittersweetness of Christmas in the Heart – the people long-gone who come alive again in our memories. So very true. I still catch myself laughing at my dad’s jokes and thinking about what Mom would do in certain situations. It comes so easy and suddenly they’re there. Reading Victorian Christmas I couldn’t help but contrast the simplicity of Christmas then and the mind-numbing variety of “stuff” in the stores you encounter today. Bethlehem’s Star – best line in it that says it all: “That star that shone on Bethlehem is mirrored across Time and Space.” Christmas in Lapland was fun. I’ve been to other places that claimed to be Santa’s home, but I think Lapland is probably as close as it gets because they have the actual reindeer – not some that were flown into some petting zoo. A Soldier’s Christmas – a touching plea for sanity. Coming home on the plane we saw all the soldiers in the airports coming home—some in wheelchairs. I couldn’t help but think of all that they’d seen and hoped that theyd find jobs and a sense of normalcy again. Loved Christmas in the 50s. A sweet reminder of how parents come through for their kids. Of course, sometimes they don’t. My dad sometimes got on a big drunk at Christmas and we often worried about whether it would be a normal holiday or a “Flight into Egypt” one. Nevertheless, Mom usually managed to save Christmas and Dad was quite often on his best behavior. Christmas Magic. Favorite lines: “With loved ones there beside us In memory once again, Who’ve journeyed on before us To a place we’ve never been.” God, that’s good Jim. Christmas Memories – My fave, Jim. It’s a perfect little poem. Hear The Bells At Christmas Ring – I don’t know about this one, Jim. There’s a mechanical feel to this style of sonnet that makes it kind of scary. Whether or not it was your intent, I don’t know ... but it has a Sorcerer’s Apprentice feel to it. Sights, Sounds and Smells of Christmas. I love that last verse. I don’t think there’s an adult alive that hasn’t felt their presence. Pentagon Version of Onward Christian Soldiers. Holy Cow, Jim, it’s scarily accurate. The Poop on Santa made me laugh. Funny, I never once thought about how he’d need a few bathroom breaks on his trip around the world. Yearly Poor Folks Holiday Time Warp. I like this one a lot. You hinted at the deprivation with the wind and the dropping pine needles and then ended it with that perfect little verse at the end of the poem. I think you did a great job and I’m enjoying the re-reads.
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The Spirit of Christmas in Poetry
on Dec. 22, 2011
Sorry, I forgot to give it stars!