One early December night
well before we decorated for Christmas,
I passed something surprising
on my stairway climb to bed.

Everyone else stepped out for the night
a quiet enveloped me. No strange sounds.
A well-needed calm as all the past month
we’d been running hard in all our
endeavours, my classes
and poetry commitments,
my husband’s extensive charity work,
and driving ill family members to appointments.
We'd barely seemed free
to spend any waking hours
together at home.

Now I was sure I’d glimpsed
an unfamiliar object on the blue runner
as I'd turned on the twist up the landing.

The shape impressed in my mind
was of a star.
Fair sized, just lying there,
flat down like a starfish
an unannounced visitor
never seen before.

I dismissed it all as imaginary,
a trick of my slight fever
and weary eyes.

Come morning, I checked again.
There it was, concrete and real.
A copper-coloured, five inch beauty
with an amber round centre, from which
a series of golden pipings
of snowflake fingers streamed.
I tucked it in a box on my bedroom dresser.

Might it be a sign? I’d been hoping
we’d soon settle down and into
relaxation, but also
Christmas preparations together.

If at that time someone had invited me
to choose an entity to find
on my stairway or
anywhere in the home,
one as inspiring as a Christmas star
would certainly have qualified.

My daughter had no idea
when I inquired about its origin
and finally I seized the chance
to ask my husband.

“Oh, yes, it’s mine!” he replied,
“I must have dropped it on the way up.”
Fortunately it was unbreakable. He only has
one working hand.

Turns out this is another
of the varied surprise gifts
he sometimes receives in appreciation
for his devoted hours and energy
to the United Way campaign here in town.

In truth, not much should astonish me
anymore. On the kitchen table there are now
five colourful striped fish candles -
another thank-you set.

So the first decoration’s lined up
and waiting now, on the living room shelf
for the tree to boast its beauty
and whisper of unseen elves.

12/16/2005

Author's Note: The United Way Centraide d'Ottawa has been a passion for my husband who has just completed his second "on loan" assignment there which meant full days and often into the evenings, for the past fall, as when he did this a few years ago. The organization does fundraising for many agencies to help people under various causes and this year achieved a record high total for donations.

Posted on 12/16/2005
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