Adventus

Kira M. Tjomsland

December evenings in Florida
are for braving the first dip below 60 degrees—
waging war on dampened soil
so my mother-in-law’s flowers survive
the first frost setting in.

We are caked in dirt
smelling of prophecies
of death and resurrection;
still, we dig deeper
into potted vessels of the earth’s flesh
bleeding with the scent of plumeria petals,
ready to carry them inside while scarlet poinsettias
take over the front lines.

As the sun sets on our battlefield, we step inside,
washing floral remnants off our hands.

The cold white of starlight dissolves
into the glow of Advent candles,
whispers of hot cocoa wafting
from the stove where my mother stands guard,
swaying to the tune of Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel.
Blood ties and marriage bonds surround a folding table
bemoaning their Cribbage woes;
my husband waves me into his arms
and rubs my goosebumps away.

I take a breath, thawing with the exhale,
and melt into the steady heartbeat
of where we are now—
and what we are waiting for.

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Kira M. Tjomsland
Kira M. Tjomsland’s award-winning poetry and prose has been published in numerous national journals including The Rectangle, Timada’s Diary, and Living Waters Review. Recently, her fantasy flash fiction Fae Bar earned a finalist award in the Four Tulips fantastic mischief anthology. In September 2025, Kira founded Wandering Lights Literary Magazine (@wanderinglights.litmag). Holding a B.A. in English from Palm Beach Atlantic University, her academic adventures include a semester at the University of Oxford. Kira currently lives in South Florida with her husband Cade. To read more of her work—including fantasy fiction, travel narratives, and ekphrastic poetry—follow her @kiramtjomsland.author.