Wishing You a Merry Christmas!

My dear friends and readers,

Wishing you a season filled with love, laughter, and joy! May your heart be light, your days be merry, and your holidays be bright.

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!

Yours truly, Victoria West

**********

Dragii mei prieteni si cititori,

Va urez un Craciun plin de iubire, bucurie și momente frumoase alaturi de cei dragi! Sa va fie inima usoara, zilele pline de zambete insorite si sa aveti parte de sarbatori stralucitoare.

Crăciun Fericit!

A voastra, Victoria West

POEM: Christmas

It’s Saturday morning before Christmas.

I’m home with my kin.

All Christmas shopping is already done,

And the gifts are safely hidden until Christmas day.

Time to decorate the Christmas tree.

When I was a little girl,

I loved decorating the Christmas tree with my family.

It was my most beloved family tradition,

And I was looking forward to it every holiday season.

I loved the glittery Christmas balls, the lights, the tinsel.

And of course, the star.

As the youngest member of the family,

I was always the one to put the star on top of the tree, the final touch.

Years later, I have my own family.

Saturday before Christmas is the day to decorate the Christmas tree in my living room.

I kept my old family tradition alive,

And I passed it on to my next generation.

Now my son is the one who puts the star on top of the Christmas tree, year after year.

And I still love the glittery Christmas balls, the lights, the tinsel.

And of course, the star.

Everything is ready for Santa to come.

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

~~~~~~~~~

From my book of poetry Sunset in Toronto (2021), page 84.

POEM: The Old Flame

As I scrolled through my social media feed,

A familiar name caught my eye.

My heart skipped a beat as memories flooded back from my freshman days,

When we were sweethearts.

It had been over a decade since we last saw each other,

But the excitement of reconnecting stirred within me.

With trembling fingers,

I sent a message,

Not knowing if he would remember me.

Days turned into hours,

And hours into minutes,

Until a notification popped up.

It’s him – a genuine smile plastered on his profile picture.

How have you been?

We exchanged stories of our lives,

Sharing laughter and reminiscing about the adventures we had embarked on as youngsters.

It felt like time had ceased to exist for a moment as we reconnected,

Even though our lives had taken different paths after college years.

I did miss you, you know.

POEM: Everest

The strongest.

The greatest.

The grandest.

The farthest.

The highest.

The coldest.

The wonderful.

The splendid.

The spectacular.

The magnificent.

The powerful.

The unachievable.

The impossible.

The closest to the sky.

~~~~~~~~~~

From my book of poetry Sunset in Toronto (2021), page 201.

POEM: The Gremlin Friend

I had always been a solitary person,

Content with my own company.

But one day, a mischievous gremlin stumbled into my life.

It had big, mischievous green eyes,

And a big, mischievous grin that promised adventure.

I named it Giggles.

At first, Giggles brought laughter and excitement into my world,

But as time went on,

I realized that our friendship came at a cost.

Giggles was an ever energy-drainer,

A selfish little monster,

Constantly demanding attention and leaving my batteries depleted.

There were nights when I was asking myself,

Fidgeting in my bed and unable to sleep,

Where did all my energy go?

It seemed like every ounce of strength I possessed was siphoned away by Giggles’ presence.

I became a mere shadow of myself, worn out and exhausted.

Until I finally made a difficult decision.

With a heavy heart, I bid farewell to Giggles,

Severing the bond that had grown between us.

I walked away and made a promise to myself never to look back,

Reclaiming the energy and vitality that had been lost.

POEM: Merry Christmas

Christmas is here.

It brings us faith, kindness, and light.

It makes a real difference in the world.

It changes lives for the better.

God bless you and your loved ones.

Merry Christmas.

POEM: La Seine

I stroll along the banks of La Seine.

Paris unfolding before my eyes like a painting brought to life.

The river flows gently like a ribbon of dreams,

Her surface shimmering with the reflections of the city’s timeless elegance.

I listen to La Seine murmuring secrets of past romances,

Her rippling waves carrying echoes of laughter and whispered promises.

She is the keeper of the collective memories of the tender souls who fell in love

And pledged their hearts to each other beneath her moonlit embrace.

La Seine, a living poem, a mirror of the spirit of Paris,

Weaves her waters into tales of resilience and passion.

Bateaux-mouches glide along her currents,

Mesmerizing all who watch their graceful dance.

La Seine carries my troubles and my pains away,

And gives me back tranquility and love.

I find solace in the river’s serenity,

My heart eternally intertwined with the symphony of Paris.