...Christ Climbed Down...

I happened upon this poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti (from his book, A Coney Island of the Mind) today, and it expresses many of the thoughts that have been running through my mind this Christmas season. We sell this time of year short, as well as lessen the potency of the Messianic story, when we lose the anticipation of its promise of Divine Incarnation- both individual and universal.


CHRIST CLIMBED DOWN

Christ climbed down
from His bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
there were no rootless Christmas trees
hung with candycanes and breakable stars

Christ climbed down
from His bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
there were no gilded Christmas trees
and no tinsel Christmas trees
and no tinfoil Christmas trees
and no pink plastic Christmas trees
and no gold Christmas trees
and no black Christmas trees
and no powderblue Christmas trees
hung with electric candles
and encircled by tin electric trains
and clever cornball relatives

Christ climbed down
from His bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
no intrepid Bible salesmen
covered the territory
in two-tone cadillacs
and where no Sears Roebuck crèches
complete with plastic babe in manger
arrived by parcel post
the babe by special delivery
and where no televised Wise Men
praised the Lord Calvert Whiskey

Christ climbed down
from His bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
no fat handshaking stranger
in a red flannel suit
and a fake white beard
went around passing himself off
as some sort of North Pole saint
crossing the desert to Bethlehem
Pennsylvania
in a Volkswagen sled
drawn by rollicking Adirondack reindeer
with German names
and bearing sacks of Humble Gifts
from Saks Fifth Avenue
for everybody’s imagined Christ child

Christ climbed down
from His bare Tree
this year
and ran away to where
no Bing Crosby carolers
groaned of a tight Christmas
and where no Radio City angels
iceskated wingless
thru a winter wonderland
into a jinglebell heaven
daily at 8:30
with Midnight Mass matinees

Christ climbed down
from His bare Tree
this year
and softly stole away into
some anonymous Mary’s womb again
where in the darkest night
of everybody’s anonymous soul
He awaits again
an unimaginable
and impossibly
Immaculate Reconception
the very craziest
of Second Comings

...MerryChristmas!!!HappyNewYear...

God is Present!!!

...A Mix Of BlackForrestry: Merry Christmas Party 2011...

Hey guys, sorry that it's been so long since my last post...time has been pretty scarce for me when it pertains to the blog. In fact, I was hoping to get this up a little sooner, so you could listen to it for a little longer, but I guess better late than never is true in this case. I hope that you get several chances to play this before the big day and that it helps to cheer your season. Merry Christmas!!!! (put this mix on and throw a party!!!!)(push play under the picture to stream the mix or find the mediafire link in the comments to download the whole thing broken up)

"A Mix of BlackForrestry:Merry Christmas Party 2011:single track"

01 Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas 0:32

02 The Stridells- I Remember Christmas 2:38

03 The Meditation Singers- What The World Wants For Christmas 3:02

04 Count Sidney And His Dukes- Soul Christmas 2:12

05 The Galaxies- Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer 2:29

06 Santo And Johnny- Twistin' Bells 2:10

07 Blues Magoos- Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 1:19

08 Chuck Berry- Merry Christmas Baby 3:09

09 Booker T & The MGs- We Wish You A Merry Christmas 2:15

10 The Gems- Love For Christmas 2:31

11 The Playboys- Night Before Christmas 2:34

12 The Flirtations- Christmas Time Is Here Again 3:29

13 Ronnie Cole Trio- Winter Wonderland 2:14

14 The Baskerville Hounds- Christmas Is Here 3:44

15 Tommy Wills- What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? 1:04

16 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles- I'll Be Home For Christmas 2:17

17 The Gaylads- We Three Kings 3:05

18 The Emotion- Black Christmas Instrumental 2:31

19 Paul Revere & The Raiders- Christmas Spirit 1:57

20 The Galaxies- Christmas Eve 4:01

21 The Salem Travelers- Merry Christmas To You 2:55

22 Mother Waddles- Interlude 1:05

23 Duke Ellington- Sugar Rum Cherry 2:45

24 Soulful Strings- Jingle Bells 2:52

25 The Staple Singers- Silent Night 2:08

26 Freddie King- Christmas Tears 2:36

27 The Galaxies- Please Come Home For Christmas 2:59

28 Ray Charles- Christmas Time 4:16

29 Booker T & The MGs- Blue Christmas 3:13