With seeming chaos in the kitchen,

a cacophony of sound and confusion,

and four children still learning

about volume control with their voices,

my brother exercises his necessary strategy;

he is the LOUDEST by far!

 

In an inexplicable miracle of timing,

all the dishes prepared by many hands

make it to the crowded table,

almost impossibly, at the same time!

 

“I don’t like turkey.”

“I only want to eat dessert.”

“What’s this red jiggly stuff, Mom?”

Somehow, everyone eats their fill

 

Through the clamor of conversation,

and the pass the “this” and pass the “that”,

Belle, the family’s rescued dog, wanders

through a forest of legs and feet

 

Enjoying her own version of the holiday

Thankful for the frequent charity of cuisine

abandoned to her floor level kingdom