Tradition

In a world of changes,

Some things remain the same:

Snow still falls in the wintertime,

Birds still fly south when the cold descends,

And the family still gathers for the holidays.

The uncles and grandpa discuss hunting, football, and politics;

The aunts swap recipes and child-rearing secrets;

The children run wild in circles round the house;

And grandma looks on with misty eyes.

Stories are swapped over the dinner table,

Over the kitchen sink,

Before the fireplace.

The revelry continues late into the night

And the winter sky grows dark.

All the while, snow is falling from the bottomless sky.