The book-of-the-week for Week 45 is The Reminder of Christmas Past. This little stiff leaf book is a three dimensional assembly of stiff paper triangles that have been folded in half then glued on their adjoining outer sides. Depending on the scale, this book structure can fill several useful guises, from holiday tree ornament... to door stop.
This particular book accompanies the ongoing House series.
The poem, The Reminder of Christmas Past is handwritten inside with sepia toned calligraphy ink and an old fashioned pen and nib...
The Reminder of Christmas Past
It stands in the yard
somewhat alone -
The small fir tree
A relic from some long ago
Christmas.
Bought with the fervor,
the impending
importance
of the yearly
drama played out
as Love, Devotion, Joy and Peace
One night a year.
So it stands, somewhat alone -
in the yard. Because
trees should not
be grown, harvested,
sold,
used for
one night a year
and discarded! No!
So it was harvested with its roots
intact, and after the celebration, was
planted in the corner of the yard...
an odd reminder of Joy and
Devotion, Love and
Peace.
Not just a singular book about a place in time, this little tree is part of the setting... it moves around the books of the House series as some toy soldier on movements. It stands sentry by the tree house stairs, or perches on the porch veranda.
When all the doors of the old house and the tree house and garden shed are flung open, it stands firmly in the center of the stage.
...and in the corner of the yard at Orange Lantern Press, the real little tree stands guard at the beginning of the driveway.
