A holiday gift to our readers: On this weekend, in the spirit of the season of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, we offer this special poem about connections and community written for CDN by freelance writer Lacy Kemp of Bellingham. Curl up and read aloud to your loved ones as you celebrate this time of the year.
It’s 8 a.m. in Bellingham
And the sun is sleeping in
But it’s time to crawl out from your bed
And let another dark day begin
The coffee pot is brewing
The dogs and cats are fed
Will the sun ever rise early again?
“Who knows,” says that voice in your head
Sure enough the light arrives
And your mood shifts with its glow
Feeling ready to tackle a winter day
You grab your keys and go
The drive out east is stunning
Full of endless mountain views
And the powder train of frothing skiers
Ready to put those planks to use
Take a quick stop at the Welcome bridge
And watch the eagles flying high
Majestic beasts leaping off their perch
And soaring through the sky
The Mount Baker highway beckons you
With old growth as your guide
Towering giants full of Old Man’s Beard
Are your companions on your drive
But be wary of your hours
For they tick by much too fast
Our darkest day approaches
The sunlight never lasts
The solstice sunset is 4 p.m.
But that doesn’t slow us down
We’re used to the dark and windy rains
Thrashing through the town
We’re not made out of sugar
We won’t melt if we get wet
For the next eight dark and dreary months
This is pretty much all we get
But sometimes we get lucky
And the rain turns into snow
Cascading chunky fat white flakes
Putting on a winter show
The mountain bikers pedal en masse
To the trails no matter the weather
They’ve moved here for one reason:
Because here the trails are better
They ride through rain and through the snow
A bomb cyclone stands no chance
Faces freshly speckled by mud
It’s even dripping off their pants!
The snow turns our town into chaos
Even a few inches will cause a scene
A perfect excuse to get out and play
Deep down you know you’re keen …
The kids break out their plastic sleds
And climb the steepest hills
They fly down the Arboretum
Always chasing speedy thrills
But it’s not only the younger kids
Who thrive in the bitter cold
It’s good play time for the young
And it’s great swimming for the bold
On frosty mornings no matter the temps
The cold plungers make their way
Wading deep into the icy waters
Of a frigid Bellingham Bay
They focus on their breathwork
They exhale through the chill
They admire the quiet mornings
So peaceful, serene and still
What happens beneath the surface
Where the whales and sea life play?
Do they also come together
To honor a holiday?
Do they have a feast made out of fish?
With a side of seaweed salad?
Do the whales sing a special song?
A squeaky ocean ballad?
Does the octopus with eight long arms
Open eight oysters at a time?
Like presents from the ocean floor
Made of salty wads of slime
Up above the surface
The boats begin to fall in line
To show off their lights and holiday cheer
One bright mast at a time
An armada of color against the dark
A sea sparkling red and green
The slowest moving rainbow
That anyone’s ever seen
The maritime crew isn’t alone
With their glowing seagoing fleet
There’s the annual lighted bike parade
Riding merrily through the streets
Tandems and cruisers and e-bikes galore
A peloton of colored light
Weaving through downtown roads
Illuminating the night
And every local brewery
Has a market for the season
So buy a gift and have a beer
As if you need another reason …
If you need another excuse to roam
The city is here to please
Winding miles of tiny fairy lights
Around the trunks of downtown trees
With branches sprawling this way and that
They tower up so high
Like peaceful monsters posing
And reaching for the sky
But no monster near stands taller
Than our white icon looming large
Koma Kulshan keeps her watchful eye
She’s always quietly in charge
An ever-changing face above
Sometimes snowy, sometimes less so
But the most beautiful face she wears
Is colored pink by alpenglow
This place that’s nestled in between
The Cascades and the Salish Sea
Our Bellinghome, our neighborhoods
Our quirky community
Is full of magic wherever you look
Just open your eyes and see
Here’s to wrapping up another year
We hope it’s left you feeling renewed
But not over-the-top excited
After all, we’re still subdued …
Lacy Kemp is a freelance writer, community builder and dog lady based in Bellingham. Find her @lacykemp on Instagram.
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