Poem: Cookie and Coffee Weekend

Gingerbread
smell wafts through the house
the oven is like a furnace
pans of cookies come out
little men decorated
with colored frosting
and googly eyes
so Grandma can stare in horror
and shout "they're looking at me!"

Fudge with espresso powder
and one batch with
marshmallows
several tries result in
burnt black bottoms
in the saucepans
but the end result
is worth it
when it turns out
just perfectly.

Christmas carols
from the TV
defrosting Mariah Carey
to the jazzy tunes
and operatic orchestras
as the coffee machine
is kept forever warm
hot water for cocoa
and coffee as we
wrap up cookie boxes for gifts.

A tradition stretching back
almost three decades
some years just the basics:
gingerbread, sugar, chocolate chip
other years with cheese sticks,
seafoam, crisp and chewy cookies
always a hit with the families
almost expected year after year
but the kitchen is always warm
with freshly baked goods.