Young Writers Society

Hello!

This poem is very beautiful; the themes of it are absolutely lovely, and the point you're making about finding joy and happiness in the smallest of things is fantastic. The range of things you've listed here makes the poem more universal and relatable to nearly everyone. In addition, the title of the poem is so incredibly beautiful, and it's a sort of phrase that tucks itself into your brain and won't leave.

It may take awhile, but eventually it comes:
The realization that everything
Doesn’t have to be perfect
To be happy.

Upon first reading, I thought this is a Christmas card. Sweet, mainly visual, but a little too flat and papery to devour. But really then that's what this poem is rebelling against, the cynicism, the self absorption of worldly despair.
Really this is a naive but tender plea to the everyperson, and as that I think it works.
I think you could cut this down though, the stress/reward thing get a little tired after so many examples. But your heart is true, and your earnest tone is quite charming. An genuine ingenue of a verse.

Right now it just looks like a grocery lists of "things you can do to make Christmas good for others." Which is probably not a good thing. Throw out some of your ideas and develop your strongest images. Then it'll be much better. ^_^

Meg,


Consider:

Cutting L6-L9 and L12-16.

What I would like to see, personally, is if you would actually drop all but the images of giving birth to a child and sitting down with your family for Thanksgiving dinner--perhaps you could weave in the other ideas (the loss of loved ones momentarily suspended like a chandelier above the table, etc.) as you wish--but I think those two images would be a good starting place for a rewrite.


Best,
Brad