I stepped out of my house, barefoot and unawares
And felt the dewy pebbles on my feet.
Around me, the birds chirped
Perching on the rooftop of the coop.
This was no poetry; this was real
I even saw the sun peaking out of the clouds and the mountains
In all its splendor, in royal orange mixed with a tinge of crimson red
Its rays fell on my hair, I touched, and it was warm.
I tiptoed towards the wind house
Built with bamboo, and leaned on one of its poles
The star shone down on me
The star we hosted on a bamboo, against the sky
Indicating Jesus’ birthday, the bulb still on.
I looked down and saw men in khaki cleaning the roads and trimming the cherry trees.
I remembered we planted those as part of our school activity
“Cherry trees grow fast” said our teacher,
I now know, he spoke some more facts apart from the school textbooks
I also saw my neighbor, an aunty, pulling out mustard leaves from her garden,
ahh! The seasonal vegetable growing activity I had forgotten
This is December, mustard grows this season, and beans in July
Pumpkins in April and corn in August
While still counting, I heard music coming from the other neighbor’s house
"Joy to the world the lord has come” filled the morning breeze
I sang along in alto.
Another one started at a distance: “jingle bells, jingle all the way”
Jingling aloud for all to hear!
I became conscious: “what if the neighbors complain”?
But remembered that this is how things are here
This is home.
People see no awkwardness in playing loud music,
Especially in this Christmas season.
So with the mixed bag of music echoing into my ears,
I gazed towards the tiny villages on hilltops
Glittering with starlights,
Breaking into day with the sun now rising higher
Warming my body and my soul.
