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 Star and the Magi
by Raynette Eitel
The star they followed by night
Never left them by day.
Dawn came dotted with doves,
Then they lay down to sleep.
That same star in their daytime dreams
Became God’s own voice whispering hope
Until twilight came again.
Then there it was. The star.
They studied the sky with its glint of tears,
Its hint of mystery,
Then resumed their journey
With certainty.
The new road they took
Became old as a wilderness trek
From Egypt.
When they saw Jerusalem,
They paused a bit,
Expecting the star to hover
Over a royal palace.
Instead, their star moved across desert hills
And they felt stars stirring in grief,
Leaping in joy.
Music resounded from the heavens
Filling their ears all night.
They could not speak, except to pray
As they obeyed a call no one could hear.
Finally, there was Bethlehem,
Their own bright star coming to rest
Over the humble place
Where a newborn king lay sleeping.
The three rejoiced, then longed for more than
Gold and frankincense and myrrh
To offer as gifts,
Knowing they would take the glittering star
With them ever after in all their dreams.
Writing Rhetorically 