A Christmas Poem for Writers

(my apologies to Clement Clarke Moore)

‘Twas the night before Christmas

And writers dug deep

For bon mots to write down

In the hours before sleep 

Their unpublished novels

Lay snug in their files

(With visions of agents 

Surprised into smiles)

When I with my nightcap

Awoke my dark screen 

It pulled up a to-do list

That felt quite obscene 

The clock had struck two 

what was wrong with my head?

(When the house is this quiet

I can’t go to bed)

Let’s edit the characters!

Heighten the themes!

Let’s touch on the marketing —

Viralize memes!

Now dashes! Now hyphens!

Out adverbs — add colon!

Strike comma! Feel stupid

(That image was stolen)

I write ‘til my eyes ache,

I write til I nod,

If I never get published

I’ll feel like a fraud

When deep in the kitchen

Arises a clatter

(I think that my youngest 

Has broken a platter)

 

I leap from my laptop

And cross the whole house

(I’m assuming my child,

Though it might be my spouse)

The fridge door is open 

And what do I see?

It’s Santa! And he 

Has a message for me!

He places his finger 

alongside his nose

And whispers encouragement 

Here’s how it goes:

 

“Your writing is magic

You fear you’re obsessed,

But really your talent 

Should make you feel blessed.

Keep writing at odd hours

Of night and of day—

A wisp of creation 

Keeps doldrums away.”

His eyes, they were twinkling

His voice, it was silk

Then he turned from my dropped jaw

And downed his tall milk.

“One more thing,” said the elf-man

“Before I depart:

When you get to the ending,

You have to restart”

I nodded and promised

In spite of my doubt.

If he could make Christmas

My book could come out. 

—M. M. De Voe (2023)

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Writing

Happy Holidays to you all - commercial or otherwise - and thank you for reading my blog this past year. I hope it brings you joy each week. In 2024, I have a reprint of my New York Times Metropolitan Diary coming out at some point, as well as a couple of new podcast interviews. I also have a few readings in New York City scheduled for later in the year from my story collection A FLASH OF DARKNESS. Here’s the fantastic Kirkus Review if you trust strangers more easily than friends.

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Random Final Thought

This fantastic edible library is part of the Gingerbread City that is on view at the Seaport (NYC) through first week of January. Laid out by real urban planners, each building was designed/constructed by architectural firms in competition. It’s truly magical if you get a chance to visit.

Please share my posts with your social networks if they make you laugh or just cause you to feel marginally better for the briefest moment. (It would be so great if people spread joy as frequently as they spread fear.) You see, I’m pushing for a better world in 2024. We can’t change everything, but we can surely put the bath towel back up on the rod.

Happy Holidays!