Christmas on Orion
Tell me a story.
A story from long ago.
It's difficult, no longer having the words
for Yule log, mistletoe, bauble
without knowing how to describe snow,
or what the flames were like that leapt from the grate
holding stags and fauns and winter nymphs
in their arms, while outside
a swift blanket of frost
covered the darkness
without knowing how to say that the nights were long
but never entirely black
or how to describe the candles
so many candles
fires in miniature
how to say the word flame
when fire no longer exists?
I point to the earth and say
once upon a time
and you say yes
a story
like that from long ago
Elodie Barnes is a poet, reviewer and essayist. She can be found writing in Paris, Spain or the UK (usually mixing up her languages), and is guest editor of the Life in Languages series at Lucy Writers’ Platform. Find her online at http://elodierosebarnes.weebly.com and on Twitter here: @BarnesElodie.