Poem for Friday and Thanksgiving

Fire Dreams
By Carl Sandburg

(Written to be read aloud, if so be, Thanksgiving Day)

I remember here by the fire,
In the flickering reds and saffrons,
They came in a ramshackle tub,
Pilgrims in tall hats,
Pilgrims of iron jaws,
Drifting by weeks on beaten seas,
And the random chapters say
They were glad and sang to God.

And so
Since the iron-jawed men sat down
And said, "Thanks, O God,"
For life and soup and a little less
Than a hobo handout to-day,
Since gray winds blew gray patterns of sleet on Plymouth Rock,
Since the iron-jawed men sang "Thanks, O God,"
You and I, O Child of the West,
Remember more than ever
November and the hunter's moon,
November and the yellow-spotted hills.

And so
In the name of the iron-jawed men
I will stand up and say yes till the finish is come and gone.
God of all broken hearts, empty hands, sleeping soldiers,
God of all star-flung beaches of night sky,
I and my love-child stand up together to-day and sing: "Thanks, O God."

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We had a very nice, fairly quiet Thanksgiving with family, starting with a morning of watching the Macy's Parade with Adam while Daniel slept in, then lunch together before Paul's parents arrived and we all went over to my parents' house, where my sister and her family is visiting.

I ate lots -- tofurkey, mashed and sweet potatoes, carrot souffle, cranberries, pomegranate seeds, pineapple, cake -- and caught up with my nieces. Given the weather the day before, I am grateful everyone made it! Here are some pics of various family members with stuffed turkeys and photobombing:












Paul's annual cookie cake (previous cakes: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013).

We never partake in Black Friday shopping, though we are probably going to the movies. Hope everyone celebrating had a good Thanksgiving and enjoy the weekend!