Holiday Tree

by Cynthia Rucryst

She stood  next to her Crissmuss tree,

explaining how close she felt to it,

how it spoke to her—

a tall, slender tree, sparkling with

shiny lights and baubles,

among the boughs.

Floating the River Rogue

by Donna Lee Taylor

Sleeping water, lying lazy in still limpid pools,
Sighs and rouses to a silent current,
Slides in gentle green satin by the bank’s soft slope.  
You stir and slowly stretch,
Gazing at the glassy surface of deep green pools.
Your fingertips slip into smooth wet silk.                 
In quiet shallows, pebbles cut the calm surface.
Sunlight sprinkles liquid jewels,
Catching your glance.