Some Kind of Glory by Rusten Harris

Some Kind of Glory by Rusten Harris

Something about Christmas The thought of divinity entering The world as a babe Condescending to diaper changes Nursing from his mother’s breast Unable to hold up his own head Becoming dependent Seems to elevate all of life And it’s most mundane experiences...
Chains by Rusten Harris

Chains by Rusten Harris

When I was a kid I made chains One every year, hung near my bed About five loops from each single sheet Of cheap construction paper- Alternating red and green every morning tear one off Mark the distance between Now and Christmas With a visual point of reference The...
Gifts by Rusten Harris

Gifts by Rusten Harris

My wife and two kids Christmas carols and coffee What isn’t a gift? The rest of the poems from Rusten Harris’s Advent series on Moss Kingdom: Incarnation, Christmas Eve, Kings, Some Kind of Glory, Chains, Gifts, Quotidian Couple, A Thousand Lights, Eve...
Quotidian Couple by Rusten Harris

Quotidian Couple by Rusten Harris

Mary- first century Palestine Most common of female names Young virgin betrothed to Joseph a carpenter -most common of trades An ancient quotidian couple Merely out to make their way Joseph’s hands calloused with labor Mary thinks of her wedding day Their story...
A Thousand Lights by Rusten Harris

A Thousand Lights by Rusten Harris

With the glow of a thousand lights Brightening my daughter’s eyes Cold air and a winter jacket She learns to keep her hands warm buried deep within her pockets And so she buys time To walk and watch and wander It’s her third Christmas And she is taking it...