cold moon

it was december 16 and i was driving home down the foresty winding road. through pine trees stretched across the path glittering with cold winter moonlight. light shone on frosty fields and pine needles gathered in warm clusters along the center of the road. i drove slowly, looking for moonshadows of deer and fox. i imagine their beds nestled between the trees near the bottom of our driveway. i see the deer get up and look at me startled, black tails flickering in the moonlight, and slowly proudly saunter away. they are young and fresh faced and strong and i feel that no one should hurt them. i pass burros, ponies, sheep and llamas too in the fenced farms and near the water troughs. everything is frozen and still in the light of the cold moon. i like to imagine a tiny baby born in a stable on a night like this, with softly lowing cows and shush of bats flying in the woodbeam rooftop. frogs hiccup and dragonflies sparkle and rabbits skid across the ice. this is a completely unrealistic idea of the christchild's birthday, totally romanticized and americanized. does it get icy cold in bethlehem? was he really born in december (no i don't think so) and for that matter was it really in a stable and was mary really a virgin. ah-hem. anyway i like the fable and the feeling of fantasy, like chronicles of narnia, what a tale, what an adventure!! believe in what you like, and your beliefs will be your truth. i believe in the cold moon, the animal friends of the forest, and my cozy home. i believe in myself and the endless love that is dazzling me inside out and turning into glittering moonlight and dancing away on branches and pinecones away into the elfish december night.