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.
Los Regalos Por Cristo (The Gifts for Christ)
by Raynette Eitel
For you I strung these red peppers
On the adobe wall.
For you I gathered piñon nuts
Sun-warmed and small.
For you I patted tortillas,
Round like the sun and gold.
For you I simmered frijoles,
All my clay pot could hold.
For you blue piñon smoke curls up
Like a woman’s prayer.
For you I scrub my niños
And comb their shiny hair.
At last I set luminarias
And give each candle light
To help you on your journey
This Holy Night.
Writing Rhetorically 