Jingle Bells Bequeathed by an Uncle by Sadie Ducet

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Jingle Bells Bequeathed by an Uncle
by
Sadie Ducet

Big as a child’s fist, riveted

to thick leather at regular intervals,

unwieldy as the cold solstice earth,

theirs no aeolian song set off

by a breeze, no giggle that batman

smells and robin laid his egg:

it takes real muscle, not

some hoked-up gadget belt,

to set these bells to ringing.

Here in my well-lit, twenty-first century

house, we have no horses.

We hang the bells on the banister and if

we want them to ring, we do it ourselves,

which the kids do, repeatedly, laughing,

wearing the finish off the wood.

And when they do, it’s nothing close

to the tiny, tinny clatter we know

from preschool music class.

Like watersound, this bellflow tumbles us

into Currier & Ives nostalgia for a never was,

if I’m not careful, all of us nestled

with other happy carolers, the runners hushed

and swift over the sparked snow, horses

high-stepping, the clear night filled

with snatches of song and laughter, house

to house all lit from within and other parties waving

Hello, hello! Merry Christmas!

No. Scrap all that as junk,

microwave the apple cider and splash

the whiskey in to toast the man. Then toast

the echoes of that caroling party, off into the dark—

Farewell, farewell, goodbye and where are we off to next?

That part is real enough.

Used with the author’s permission.

Sadie Ducet looks a lot like Sarah Busse, the co-editor of Verse Wisconsin, whose collection, Somewhere Piano, was published by Cowfeather Press in October 2012.

Janet Leahy:
My father had bells like this, he woke us with them when Santa left on Christmas Eve, thanks Sadie, for a memory I had not thought of for a long time.
Posted 12/19/2012 08:15 PM

Ralph Murre:
She DOES look a lot like Sarah Busse -- so, just this once you understand, I'll share that splash of whiskey. Cheers!
Posted 12/19/2012 12:35 PM

marenomitchell:
These words ring loud and clear!
Posted 12/19/2012 10:44 AM

mimi:
love the poem, Sarah-Sadie, or is it Sadie-Sarah? Sweet!
Posted 12/19/2012 08:44 AM

Larry Schug:
As a collector of brass bells (70 or more, including sleigh bells), I certainly appreciate this poem. Like in this fine poem, my bells don't just collect dust, they are rung frequently. I love "Like watersound, this bellflow tumbles..." Thanks, Sadie, you made my day
Posted 12/19/2012 07:43 AM

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