At Christmastime
Something yummy-smelling in the oven
And some spicy-scented candle 
Would mingle with the scent 
Of wood and cigarette smoke
And make a little brick house 
On a rural Kentucky creek 
Smell smoky, spicy, and sweet

At that time of year
The creek beside the house
Was cold and a little icy
And like most days –
A peaceful gurgle of soft current
But when the rains came –
That tiny creek
Would become a rushing tide

There were times when I watched 
Large logs, rolls of fence wire, 
Animal carcasses
And even an old truck hood
Roll down that muddy current

We were always a little fearful 
That the creek might escape its boundaries
And flood our basement 
But in the whole ten years we lived there
It never did

The house too, would seem to flood 
But this flood was different –
It was a swell of smell and sound
And light and love
This was especially true at Christmas

Christmas, for us, began
Like all floods – with thunder!   
My brother and I would thunder 
Down the stairs
Sometimes skipping the last few 
To greet a house full of family
And to find
Presents everywhere!

Mamaw Jeanie would be snapping pictures
With her thumb over part of the frame
Papaw Billy, with his boy-ish smile,
Would be making jokes and chuckling joyfully
Papaw Carroll would hug us tight 
And repeat the reliably-delivered directive
To, “be good.” 
Mamaw Theda, in her festive attire,
Would be full of commentary
Dad would be putting things together
And Mom would be fixing 
Some delicious, copious breakfast
A coffee mug always at her side 
Each person, each moment –
A snapshot in my mind

In that house
We had nurturing love in abundance 
But there was also 
Outreaching love
And disciplining love
All doled out plentifully
Love poured through
Everything we did

We were expected to work on the farm 
Treat others with respect
Be obedient
And get along with each other
We never received coal in our stockings; 
Because the spankings did the trick

We made food for people
Made cookies with Granny 
Went caroling with our church
Participated in Christmas programs
And helped others decorate
We were taught the joy of giving

For a short decade
We lived in that house
And like the creek
Which etches the land
The love that grew in that house
Etched my heart

While water follows a path 
Of least resistance
Slowly making change over time
Love makes wild paths: 
Overarching, circling, returning
Wide-swinging, extending, climbing, piercing
These paths can be forged suddenly
Or with patience, over time
Through drops or waves
Peacefully, or mercifully violent 

I know the creek will remain 
Long after I’m gone
Long after the house has fallen
Maybe it will spread 
And take up the whole valley
The love that burst from that little house
Will, at some point, 
No longer carry our names
But will spread and leap and move
And hopefully carry with it the only name 
That ever mattered
May it rain down through generations
Like the love generations before
Rained down on us
May it carry with it
The name that burst forth in time
On that first Christmas morning
From that tiny town of Bethlehem
The name that brought love 
To that little house on a creek in Kentucky
And brings love to wherever you are today
A stream that never retreats
And never ends