Auld Lang Syne

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne?

The Eight Most Popular Poems and More from 2011

Wedding vows read in Central Park on 11-11-11 make our list.

These are the poems, essays and more that resonated the most with you, our readers, in the past year.

The New York City Minute Photo of the Year

The New York City Minute Photo of the Year: The Marathon of Dan Cnossen

Navy Seal Lt. Dan Cnossen stepped on an IED in Afghanistan on September 8, 2009 and lost both of his legs. On November 6, 2011 Dan Cnossen crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon in  2:38:00. There were more than 40,000 stories in the New York City Marathon. Dan Cnossen's was one of the most inspiring.

What I Don't Have for Christmas

I don't have a lot
in a Christmas regard

I don't have Photoshop skills
to craft you a card

True Gift of Christmas

Christmas
Year’s finale;
Ending and beginning,
Bringing joy and hope;
Salvation and peace for Mankind;
A Saviour, Jesus Christ the King,

Warmth of Snow

Every year,
It is the same routine.
'Tis the season to be jolly,
   But there's something missing.

Ho Ho Ho

It's coming to that time of year,
Where adverts push the Christmas cheer
Shop windows full of games and toys
Drooling mouths of girls and boys.

Riu, Riu, Chiu

Riu, riu, chiu
    La guarda ribera
    Dios guarde el lobo
    De nuestra cordera

The Feast of Lights

Kindle the taper like the steadfast star
Ablaze on evening's forehead o'er the earth,
And add each night a lustre till afar
An eightfold splendor shine above thy hearth.
Clash, Israel, the cymbals, touch the lyre,
Blow the brass trumpet and the harsh-tongued horn;
Chant psalms of victory till the heart takes fire,
The Maccabean spirit leap new-born.

Let Them Eat Emily Dickinson's Coconut Cake

From Charles Baudelaire to Dylan Thomas most poets are associated with their favorite libation. Emily Dickinson is associated with her favorite kitchen treats. One of America's most celebrated poets wielded a rolling pin as well as a pen. Her recipe for Indian bread (bannock) won second prize at the Amherst, Massachusetts Annual Cattle Show in 1856.

Salud A Barra

Where the sweet rains fall
    into the vast, salty sea
Where sweat mingles with mangoes
    under the tree

Hipster Reindeer of New York

(Or How New York Invented Christmas)

New York lays claim to most everything and Christmas is no exception. From Santa Claus himself to eight tiny reindeer you wouldn't be noggin' if not for New York.

Christmas is so hip that St. Nick himself is from Chelsea. Clement Clarke Moore's Manhattan spread was named Chelsea and he developed the neighborhood that later became the hipster haven Chelsea. Where else would you expect to find characters named Dasher, Prancer, Donner, Blitzen, Comet and Cupid?

Repo'd

Twas the fifteenth of December,
the bank payment was overdue.
With elves and gifts to remember
and wrapping paper all askew,

Christmas Gifts

The Pope on Christmas Day
Sits in Saint Peter's chair;
But the peoples murmur and say,
"Our souls are sick and forlorn,
And who will show us where
Is the stable where Christ was born?"

Sway

Romeo and Juliet in Central Park.

I like the word,
I like what it conveys,
I like that movement within my arms,
that waltz across a room

The Wellness Renegade: Is Traditional Chinese Medicine To Woo For You?

I’m an acupuncturist, and while I actually enjoy my job, if I had to choose between treating patients and going surfing (and making a living wasn’t an issue), surfing would win every time.
I guess what I’m getting at is I’ve never been an acupuncturist that is a “champion for the cause.” I don’t go to health fares or make presentations about how great Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is. I also don’t intend this blog to be a forum entirely about it either (but I will draw from my experience).

A Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

Oh Virgen Inmaculada,
Madre del verdadero
Dios y Madre de la Iglesia!
Tú, que desde este lugar manifiestas
tu clemencia y tu compasión
a todos los que solicitan tu amparo;
escucha la oración
que con filial confianza te dirigimos
y preséntala ante tu Hijo Jesús,
único Redentor nuestro.

The Children's Friend

Old Santeclaus with much delight
His reindeer drives this frosty night,
O'er chimney tops, and tracks of snow,
To bring his yearly gifts to you.

John and Yoko at Niagara Falls

John and Yoko at Niagara Falls
where we once swapped spit

John and Yoko at Niagara Falls
when we were still in cribs

Ode to Wednesday Night

Maybe not the first

But with luck, the last

You have shown me something

Something I’ve not yet known

Cheating Winter

Dried and brown
The leaves they blew
Across the avenues

Leaves abandoned by a summer's drought
Cheated of their destiny
Of their brilliant hues

Night People

She lifts her Friday-weary head
from off the pillow
Her eyes don't bother to focus
in the darkness of the room
At the high point of the day

On The First Day of...

Snowflakes fall
Outside an open window
Only to melt upon my heart
With the suggestion of a remembrance