nichepoetryandprose

Every year, during Advent, I either purchase or make a wreath of evergreens to celebrate the coming of Christmas.  Last year, making the wreath, I had a little help.  Zoë decided the perfect place to perch herself was within the circle of the wreath.

Our wreath materials were all obtained on our lake property.  The species we used for our wreath were:

• White Pine (Pinus Strobus L.)
• White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.)  also known as Arbor Vitae
• Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.)
• Common Juniper (Juniperus communis L.)  -the variety we used was too prickly and I won’t use it again.

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At this time of Advent, we wait in the darkest days of the year for Christmas.  The wreath is one of the most endearing symbols of this wait.  Made of evergreens, it speaks to the concept of everlasting love.  To count down the Sundays before Christmas, we light purple and pink candles to symbolize ideas of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.   The lighted candles also represent bringing light into the world.

The wreath is another of those symbols borrowed from pagan times, when the circle represented the ever-changing seasons and the circle of life.  The evergreen stood for the part of life that survives the winter season and  candles symbolized light shining through darkness.

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gathering green

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in the space between solstice

and the whisper of stars

in a herded sky

daylight shrinks, always one hour

short of rested

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in the thicket we gather

armloads, garlands of green

fragrances of cedar and pine

red dogwood twigs

stems of red berry, alder cones

curved boughs of fir

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flexible as mattress coils, piled on ground

to rest, await brief

overlap, longest night

and feathering of angel down

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watch, through the trees

the struggle

planet light

and pagan fire

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© Jane Tims  2012