A Lifetime of Christmas Poetry
My mom, Raynette Forister Eitel, passed away in September of 2022, age 85, drifting away into dementia. It was tragic to watch this woman who loved words, who was a poet and teacher, fade away into wordlessness after a lifetime of crafting poetry.
Mom had a tradition of writing a new Christmas poem each year and sending it to friends and relatives. The mailing list grew each year, and people always told us they looked forward to mom’s Christmas poems. She published some in a couple little books. There are too many to post just once a day during the month of December, but I’ll choose some of the best.
The Craziest Christmas
by Raynette Eitel
The cat has climbed the Christmas tree
And swatted tinsel to the floor.
The puppy chewed the packages
And now we can’t tell who they’re for.
The baby spied the bread-dough creche
And ate a shepherd and a sheep.
The oldest child with ten sure thumbs
Has one less heirloom now to keep.
And if this isn’t bad enough,
I’ve heard the rumor sure as fate—
The busy downtown Santa Claus
Is surly, sick, and losing weight.
So Peace on Earth! Joyeux Noel!
And may your Christmas be like mine.
For only on the darkest night
Do smallest stars begin to shine.
Writing Rhetorically 