The sap of the day The sap of the day What it is. It is the smell of evergreen, of cakes and candies. The coming together of loved ones Not seen for time, The coming together of those No longer with us. It is years compressed To the moment of now: The future, the present, The past. It is the remembrance of love, The pain of ritual. Mama wrapping packages We couldn't afford. The tree being cut from the hill, Drug to the house, Mounted on an unsteady stand And clothed in garments of tradition. It is the sharing of time, food and things. It is the time when fragile love is renewed. It is also a time of pain, of fear, and of aloneness. A time when many reach out to be touched By a sense of community That is both illusion and reality. -- By Bud Rue Published December 1988 in The River Reporter as a letter to the editor.