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‘Twas All Hallows’ Eve, a poem

Thanks to my friend M. for the terrace decor.
Thanks to my friend M. for the terrace decor.

… after Clement Clarke Moore‘s “Twas the Night Before Christmas …

‘Twas All Hallows’ Eve, and all through the house
Every creature was stirring, even our pet mouse
Oh the pumpkins were carved with very great care
In the hope that trick-or-treaters soon would be there
The children were agitated, not one in her bed
As visions of sweet treats danced in their heads
Dad and I in our costumes and me with my cap
Had settled by the door listening for the first rap
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
We sprang to our feet to check on the matter
We threw open our door to offer sweet stash
While witches flew by, all glitter and flash
And the moon on the rise and the dark ground below
Gave lustre and bluster to ghosts on the go
And then what to our startled eyes should appear,
But a miniature ballerina among goblins, one bear
Now, Alice! Now Ernie! Now Jimmy! Now Chris!
Come little Tony, big Brandy and Trish
To the top of the stairs, don’t any one fall …
Now dash away dash away dash away all

Happy Halloween to all who celebrate! xo

And that’s it for my contribution to Halloween this year! Wishing you many sweets and no cavities. 

©2010, poem and photograph, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved

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FAITH and HOUSING WEEKEND

img_3718BEST PRACTICE: “FAITH & HOUSING WEEKEND”  I am helping with this county-wide effort to address the housing crisis in our area. Between 2010 and 2014, San Mateo County produced 2,100 new housing units and 54,600 jobs. It’s not hard to imagine the resulting decrease in affordable housing and increase in homelessness and other stressful conditions. “The Faith and Housing Weekend” was born of a recent Clergy Housing Summit. At the Summits clergy and county officials unite to understand the crisis and to target solutions for ultimately achieving “Homes for All.”

I am proud of area clergy representing many faiths who have gathered with prayer and intention at the Clergy Housing Summits and are planning collaborative efforts (in numbers there’s strength) that can be implemented by them and their synagogues, mosques and churches to better serve our community. This weekend – “Faith and Housing Weekend” – many of our faith organizations will host educational sessions to provide information to their congregations on the housing crisis, resources, the local ballot initiatives for November 8th, and the ways individually and together members can help resolve the shortage and affordability challenges.There will also be sermons, homilies, music, and prayer. Bravo!

I’ve posted this info because there are many communities around the world where people are homeless for a variety of reasons.  This is “a best practice” and one that I suspect could be implemented pretty much anywhere.

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Gentlemen of the Old School, poem

The Madonna in Sorrow Giovanni Battista Salvi (1609-1685)
The Madonna in Sorrow
Giovanni Battista Salvi
(1609-1685)

gentlemen of the old school
those devotees of Mary …
Mother of Christ, Handmaid of the Lord
seeing her in every woman
….. generously
even me – daughter, mother, niece, friend –
protagonist, antagonist,
on-again off-again wife
simmering slowly in the broth of the cosmos
never quite done, never quite done
…..but they were …
………they were
gentlemen of the old school

dedicated to the real men in my life from whom you will not hear “locker room” talk

© 2013, poem, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved Photo ~ via Wikipedia and in the U.S. Public Domain