12days of christmas 2012-13

7/30/2019 12Days of Christmas 2012-13

1/25

ANANSI: AN

UNUSUAL

EXPERIENCETHE 12 DAYS DAYS OF CHRISTMAS COLLABORATION AT LUNCH BREAK

http://myblog-lunchbreak.blogspot.com/

DECEMBER 25TH

2012 TO JANUARY 5TH

2013

GILLENA COX AND HAIKU FRIENDS
http://myblog-lunchbreak.blogspot.com/http://myblog-lunchbreak.blogspot.com/http://myblog-lunchbreak.blogspot.com/


2/25

Welcome to the FIFTH YEAR'S celebration of'The

12 days of

Christmas at Lunch Break Thank you for

celebrating with meWishing the love and warmth of family and

friends MERRY CHRISTMAS 2012

(story of) 'Anansi - An Unusual Experience' gillena

cox 2012

All poems and images remain the copyright of

individual writers


3/25

Christmas tree

the glow and sparkle

of old ornaments--opening image and haiku Adelaide B Shaw

Christmas Eve sunrise---

I water my

poinsettia

Fred Masarani

...And thus, the spidery Anansi, awakes to eight arms full of anansi children,

tugging at him from every direction, pleading with him to come downstairs,

to open a gift under the Christmas tree. He yawns and stretches, it is

daylight and it is Christmas, what a wonderous feeling...

azure skies...

in the church-front creche

Mary's blue mantle

--gillena cox
http://adelaide-whitepetals.blogspot.com/http://hbfm.blogspot.com/http://hbfm.blogspot.com/http://adelaide-whitepetals.blogspot.com/


4/25

image from google

smell of roast

in the long distance call

Christmas day

--Stella Pierides

TV movies Christmas day

sips of saki and chocolate

--gillena cox

family gathering...

the many sounds

of laughter

--Kirsten Cliff

...Left alone for a while, Anansi and Mrs Anansi sit at the table sipping

coffee. They use cinnamon sticks to stir, stirring slowing. They sip and they

talk, for the children are too excited by their new toys to feel hungry, or even

remember, they have anansi parents....
http://www.google.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://www.google.com/http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0QFIGmzpZ4U/UNrXMgfk53I/AAAAAAAAFcI/Wjyzz0yyEzo/s1600/day2.jpg


5/25

silent day after Christmas

I clean house again

-- Adelaide

Boxing Day hunt ducks on the Danube line-up

for crumbs

-- Stella Pierides

so many left overs oh my scale

better walk all the boxing sale

--Lorraine
http://adelaide-whitepetals.blogspot.com/http://colourandstuffl.blogspot.com/http://colourandstuffl.blogspot.com/http://adelaide-whitepetals.blogspot.com/


6/25

image from google

around the tablethree generations

in the candles glow

--Cara Holman

through a waft of breeze

a bird's nest revealed

--gillena cox

...However, later in the day, when they gather, for a late Christmas lunch, it

is then, Anansi in between mouthfuls of *green fig salad, decides to relate

this experience...[*In the Caribbean green bananas are called 'green fig']
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zPOKSILkG0Y/UNvJ4vKRPSI/AAAAAAAAFdQ/vf4iaZKuEhM/s1600/333.jpghttp://www.google.com/http://caraholman.wordpress.com/http://caraholman.wordpress.com/http://www.google.com/http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zPOKSILkG0Y/UNvJ4vKRPSI/AAAAAAAAFdQ/vf4iaZKuEhM/s1600/333.jpg


7/25

after midnight...

pouring "Santa" another

glass of milk--Diane Mayr

Christmas tree

the language gets brighter

towards night

--Chris Dominiczak

half awake coo coo

of pigeons in the eaves--gillena cox

between holidays

listening to carols

alone

-- Adelaide

...In between the patter and splash of raindrops on the pavement, there arosean unusual wind, which, not content to only ruffle Mrs Anansi's pretty new

drapes, ruffled and wove herself into the Anansi house; winding her way up

the Anansi staircase, into the Anansi bedrooms; peering here, and peering

there, until at last, reaching the room shared by Anansi and his charming

wife. Here, this unusual gust, shaped herself into a giant windy hand, large

enough to pick up the unsuspecting, Anansi himself....
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yjoD59q3YE0/UN0jUYbG--I/AAAAAAAAFeY/rkQA8Nzk_iI/s1600/after%2Bmidnight.JPGhttp://www.randomnoodling.com/http://adelaide-whitepetals.blogspot.com/http://adelaide-whitepetals.blogspot.com/http://www.randomnoodling.com/http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yjoD59q3YE0/UN0jUYbG--I/AAAAAAAAFeY/rkQA8Nzk_iI/s1600/after%2Bmidnight.JPG


8/25


9/25

...Come with me Anansi" said the unusual Wind, i will take you on a little

trip. poor Anansi, he was terrified, yet still, he clutched Wind's giant hand

and off they went swooosh. Anansi thought to himself, this must be exactly

how great Moon feels in all her waning and waxing shapes, suspended in the

night sky; he even thought he saw an unusually bright star in passing

hazy moon...

cresting a car roof

Christmas dew

--gillena cox

full moon . . .

picking at leftovers

from the fridge

--Kirsten Cliff

yelping dogs...

bamboo

bussin

[written as spoken by Trinis in relaxed conversations]
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j7Rj-nBM0rI/UN7EJeH-brI/AAAAAAAAFfg/_Qvp1orTQkQ/s1600/WIND.jpghttp://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j7Rj-nBM0rI/UN7EJeH-brI/AAAAAAAAFfg/_Qvp1orTQkQ/s1600/WIND.jpg


10/25

yelping dogs...

bamboo

bursting

--gillena cox

about Bamboo bursting read more here

A packed church

of children clutching their toys

Holy Innocents Day

--Keith Simmonds

I remember horsehand of the moon embraces

walnut brain

--Tatjana Debeljacki

cemetery visit --

I place a Christmas angel

at his headstone

--Kirsten Cliff
http://tinyurl.com/cptwyvyhttp://songsinhaiku.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://songsinhaiku.blogspot.com/http://tinyurl.com/cptwyvy


11/25

first snow

just enough to excusethe hot toddy

--Diane Mayr

...Tossed, swivelled and swirled, Anansi was so terrified he, couldn't even

feel air sick. He peered through the night; thick and dark, to see what he

could see. There they were, three unusually dressed men riding on the backs

of camels, carrying gifts of some sort. They sat so regally in the desert of

falling snowflakes, not even once brushing away a snowflake, Anansi

thought, how wise these three men, sitting on the backs of camels holdingtheir packages so tightly, so securely...

winter stars

under the Christmas lights

a couple wishing

--Chrissi Villa
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Fg9rDNQbqE/UN_tlDcyvII/AAAAAAAAFgo/0ByfT8LO9CI/s1600/first%2Bsnow.JPGhttp://www.randomnoodling.com/http://www.randomnoodling.com/http://blossomrain.blogspot.com/http://blossomrain.blogspot.com/http://www.randomnoodling.com/http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Fg9rDNQbqE/UN_tlDcyvII/AAAAAAAAFgo/0ByfT8LO9CI/s1600/first%2Bsnow.JPG


12/25

drummer on square

oasis of colours and sound

midnight moon


Christmas rush

in the road a pair of trainers

pointing

in different directions

--Frank

Mistletoe hanging

in every doorway

spirit of goodwill--Keith Simmonds
http://songsinhaiku.blogspot.com/http://fwilliams-haikuhaigaetc.blogspot.com/http://fwilliams-haikuhaigaetc.blogspot.com/http://songsinhaiku.blogspot.com/


13/25

between holidays

a late Christmas card

with no name

-- AdelaideNew Years eve mass

the church fills with the scent

of perfumes and incense

--Keith Simmonds

...Anansi was enthralled, he stared, his spidery mouth wide open in

amazement. But where are they going, just the three of them, and at this

hour of the night; Dont they have families? Wives to help with shelling of

pigeon peas? Children's gifts to wrap? Ham to bake for the paranderos'

visits? And as he asked these questions of Wind, with each question, his

mood softened, and his spidery face brightened...
http://adelaide-whitepetals.blogspot.com/http://adelaide-whitepetals.blogspot.com/


14/25

Christmas lilies...

the way her eyes

light up

--Kirsten Cliff

paranderos

proclaiming from house to house

the birth of the King

Santa Claus arrives

bearing toys and goodies

childrens eyes light up

--Keith Simmonds

drenching hearts of every Scrooge...

a downpour Christmas morning--gillena cox
http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/


15/25

another new year

i take with me the scent

of Christmas memories--Chrissi Villa

fire crackers...

a whiff of the new year

within festive sounds

--gillena cox

The midnight hour

last years resolutions

recycled

Strains of Auld Lang Syne

filling the atmosphere

a new beginning

Fireworks in sync

with the midnight magic

the power of hope

--Keith Simmonds

New Year's Day ...

the bunch of balloons

hangs shriveled

--Kirsten Cliff
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g3bm5s--sb8/UOJkxUZuqVI/AAAAAAAAFi4/79TZ1YjhgDM/s1600/Copy%2Bof%2Bfrost%2Borton%2B-%2BCopy%2B%2528Small%2529.JPGhttp://blossomrain.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://blossomrain.blogspot.com/http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g3bm5s--sb8/UOJkxUZuqVI/AAAAAAAAFi4/79TZ1YjhgDM/s1600/Copy%2Bof%2Bfrost%2Borton%2B-%2BCopy%2B%2528Small%2529.JPG


16/25

learning from the past

New Year resolutions

set in marble

-- Stella Pierides

office wish list...

in a recycled envelope

oddly shaped scraps

that vacation in New York

all the ALF toys were sold out

--gillena cox

first shared at NaHaiWriMo

...Where are we Anansi entreated? Wind however had spoken her bit for that

night, when she commanded "Come with me Anansi" so to Anansi's now

questioning, she gave no reply. It was swooosh, after swooosh after

swooosh. As wind blew this way and that carrying poor Anansi in her

grasp
http://stellapierides.com/https://sites.google.com/site/nahaiwrimo/https://sites.google.com/site/nahaiwrimo/http://stellapierides.com/


17/25

image--GheorghePostelnicu Romania;

our dogs

join singing ...

but where is Baby Jesus?

--Ralf Brker

Let me be

Your Christmas

Your shiny stars

I love you Jesus

--Lorraine

...Anansi, from trillions of night clouds above, craned his neck this way and

that. He thought he saw a sign. Yes it was. A neon sign which read

"Bethlehem Ephrath - stable about 2 to 3 swoooshes away"...
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sZllgi8Xc04/UOJlJIpw3XI/AAAAAAAAFjE/W4LcQ1rNTf8/s1600/HAPPYMMXIIIfromSTOPS%2Bro.JPGhttp://haiku-pupil.blogspot.com/http://colourandstuffl.blogspot.com/http://colourandstuffl.blogspot.com/http://colourandstuffl.blogspot.com/http://haiku-pupil.blogspot.com/http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sZllgi8Xc04/UOJlJIpw3XI/AAAAAAAAFjE/W4LcQ1rNTf8/s1600/HAPPYMMXIIIfromSTOPS%2Bro.JPG


18/25

Three wise men journey

to the east to discover

the light of the world

--Keith Simmonds

rainy Christmas

an umbrella to shelter...

what of the homeless

--gillena cox

in the company of the homeless---

nuns serve

Christmas dinner

Fred Masarani

memories

mere repentance

throught the fog


first dream of the year--

i wake not knowingwhich way is up

--Kirsten Cliff
http://hbfm.blogspot.com/http://songsinhaiku.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://songsinhaiku.blogspot.com/http://hbfm.blogspot.com/


19/25

image from google

late Christmas card

call of a peacock

in the distance

--Kirsten Cliff

soft breath of God

whispers to my heart and soul

a Son is born today

--Pat Geyer

...Gently, gently, gently Anansi felt himself being landed; As Wind opened

slightly the door of a stable, no one looked around, the door was opened so

quietly. And there it was Anansi saw : oxen, donkey, sheep, cattle all lying in

sweet hay, some munching, some not; and the same three unusually dressed

men, presenting their gifts to... and this is when Anansi squealed with delight

"baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph and shepheds". Anansi clapped his hands

for joy and did a happy dance, but no one looked around, no one saw or

heard Anansi; but everyone heard angels singing, Joy to the world let earth

receive her King....
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0NeMBibiBS0/UOVs5ZBj98I/AAAAAAAAFkM/t8PObPQ1BL0/s1600/Nativity-Scene-Budapest.jpghttp://www.google.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://www.google.com/http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0NeMBibiBS0/UOVs5ZBj98I/AAAAAAAAFkM/t8PObPQ1BL0/s1600/Nativity-Scene-Budapest.jpg


20/25

A star twinkles on

a child in a manger

the Prince of peace

a tiny Infant

from the humblest of abodes

peace and love to all

--Keith Simmonds

Christmas Eve

of long agos

I still cry

'O Holy night

--Lorraine
http://colourandstuffl.blogspot.com/http://colourandstuffl.blogspot.com/


21/25

Christmas carols...

two grackles linger between

the melodies--gillena cox

Christmas morning...

lusty voices belting out

hymns of joy and peace

--Keith Simmonds

somehow

in every room

threads of tinsel--Kirsten Cliff

..."It was indeed, a night so Holy. Wind thank you for lifting my spirits,

thank you for taking me back to the true meaning of Christmas" Said a

humbled happy Anansi, smiling from air to air, looking around for Wind.

"Wind, Wind, Winnnnnd", but there was no Wind,only a very contented

Anansi...
http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/


22/25

--image from google

before

the drizzle dissipates -

scent of pink roses

--gillena cox

fog over the roofs

my new diarys paper

smell

-- Stella Pierides

sleeping through

the silence of snow

waking with the plough

-- Adelaide
http://www.google.com/http://stellapierides.com/http://adelaide-whitepetals.blogspot.com/http://adelaide-whitepetals.blogspot.com/http://stellapierides.com/http://www.google.com/


23/25

wrapped up

in this Christmas gift, too

his love for me

packing awaythe Christmas decorations...

another year without her

--Kirsten Cliff

sweet steelpan sounds

rehearsing day and night

carnival coming

--Keith Simmonds

moral hearts

bar the paths of eviltwelve days

--Magyar

...Well; like i said before, and i'm saying again, it was an unusually rainy

December, when, Anansi awoke one morning in an unusually bad mood, or

so he thought. Anyways; it was an unusually cold kitchen (in the tropical

island of Trinidad) in which cooking oil slowed to an eeire hot stillness in

the large family frying pot, or so he thought, into which the radiant Mrs

Anansi was dropping evenly formed bits of white flour dough, making fried

bakes, or so he thought; for him the unusually grumpy Anansi didn't feel like

getting out of bed even to have breakfast, or so he thought. And this is how it

all started...THE END
http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/http://kirstencliffwrites.blogspot.com/


24/25

We have come to the end of the FIFTH YEAR'S

celebration of'The 12 days of Christmas at Lunch

Break' Thank you for celebrating with meWishing the love and warmth of family and

friends.

Till next CHRISTMAS. HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

and "may God bless us All"

All poems and images remain the copyright of

individual writers

Many thanks again to my 2012/13 posse:-

Adelaide Shaw, US

Chris Dominiczak, UKChristine L Villa, US

Diane Mayr, US

Frank Williams, UK

Fred Masarani, US

Gheorghe Postelnicu, Romania

Kirsten Cliff, New Zealand

Lorraine Renaud, Canada

Magyar, US

Pat Geyer, US

Ralf Brker, Germany

Stella Pierides, Germany

Tatjana Debeljacki, Serbia

Keith Simmonds, Trinidad and Tobago


25/25

My inspiration for writing 'Anansi - An Unusual

Experience' came from reading, and viewing so many

movie variations, of

Inspiration for this series The Twelve Days of

Christmas Carol

Anansi image gillena cox 2011

(story of) 'Anansi - An Unusual Experience' gillena

cox 2012

Read more about the Anansi folk tale
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_%28song%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_%28song%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anansihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anansihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_%28song%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_%28song%29

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