Terence Winch: Craic-Head Poetry

  A Bronx Irish Christmas Long Ago   [Terence Winch] Paddy Winch, Bridie Winch, Kenny Reich, Jesse [Jimmy] Winch,  Terence Winch, P.J. Conway, kitchen of 1912 Daly Ave, Bronx, ca. 1961 _____________________________________________________________________________ C E L E B R A T I O N ___________________________ In our world, nothing compared with Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. God’s power surging through the congregation, from altarboys in our stiff collars and big red bows, to the solid men of the parish in their finest array: blue suits, gold wrist watches, crisp white shirts. The women perfumed and girdled, lipsticked and bejeweled. Enough incense in the air to do the Wise Men proud. The procession wound through the church, organ honking, voices lifted in the special Christmas sense of the slate wiped clean and the universe beginning anew. The tree in the house lit with fat colored bulbs that looked good enough to eat. The old suitcase ...