Advent

This is called the waiting.

stomach murmurs questions but I am deaf
to it because my hands are focused on the clasp
that is in my lap in the waiting that is Waiting
like dandelions, before they begin, to bloom:

a not-quite comprehensive understanding
of what is to Come when the candles are lit
and the whispers waft to the ceiling, to the floor,
to my palms open but not reaching; seeking but not racing,
like dandelions, before they begin to bloom

and are plucked to be blown: dust carried
in the clutches of the wind.