When russet beech leaves coat the ground
And bark is bare in field and wood
An evergreen to tease the eye
As winter’s symbol should.
Sprig of holly at the door
To ward off lightning, poison, war
Druid staff, Witch’s brew
Sword forger’s friend
Dreamcatcher, too—
nine sharp leaves bound in cloth
with nine tight knots
will conjure truth,
according to the old belief.
Holly King rules his natural realm
And never far from his side
From summer’s height to winter’s chill
Fidelity, his ivy bride.
Sprig of ivy up the wall
Keeps home safe from beast and squall
Lover’s bind, Good luck plea
A poet’s crown
Fertility—
bridal wreath intertwined
carried by a blushing maid
will ensure a fruitful match,
according to the old belief.
Pagan totem, Christian sign
No matter what it cares to mean
The holly and the ivy’s gift—
The ever present, Evergreen.
Whatever holiday you celebrate, may you find moments of peace and joy.
Best wishes, Melissa
Melissa Shaw-Smith 
happy holidays to you too!
: )
That is absolutely beautiful.
Thanks, Mum–in lieu of a Christmas card!
Love it!
Thank you!
What a beautiful way to say Happy Christmas. Love Elizabeth xxx
Thanks so much, Elizabeth. Love to all the family.
The whole thing moves me, but the final verse is something else again. Superb …
Thank you for your kind words.
Evocative! How skillfully you intertwine the holly and the ivy. I enjoyed this very much.
Thanks, Roger. And for the spellcheck!
Wonderful…
Thank you so much.
Melissa…you can figure out from my past comments on other things just how I feel about this…structure, balance, nuance, wistful, promise
thank you, Charissa
PS: Merry Christmas (for that is my way of it)…you have been a gift to me this year that I am grateful of!
Charissa, I really appreciate your feedback. I’ve enjoyed reading your work this year, too. Many good wishes for 2015 – Melissa
Beautiful poem.
Appreciate the nice comment.
I love your expression in your poetry, the honest deliberate phrases. I have been trying to find words to express it. I love your style. I use to write poetry before I wrote songs years ago. I love your style and the passion in it. Thanks again!
Such kind words. Thank you for taking the time to comment. Much appreciated.