Advent

ADVENT

You light candles
and you wait,
not like waiting at the bus stop
with the rain soaking your day
and the time passing
like tree growth.
You light candles
and you wait,
not like standing in line at the grocery store
with your parsley dripping on your shoe
and the woman in front of you
writing a check like a novel.
You light candles
as you sing songs of joy in minor keys
and you wait
like a man sitting at the restaurant table
with the calla lilies in his hand
and the diamond ring hidden inside
the death-by-chocolate dessert
looking every direction every moment
to see his beloved appear
and feel his heart pound at what is about to happen.
You wait like this
lighting candles one by one
waiting for something to happen
even as nothing does
year after year
war after war
death after death.
You wait like this
this Advent
this life
because somehow
even without anyone coming
to take your flowers
you still believe.