A refreshing departure from the usual festive fare. Traditional American, Mexican, Galacian, Catalan and British poems team up with contemporary work such as "Talking Turkeys!!" ("Turkeys just wanna play reggae / Turkeys just wanna hip-hop / Can you imagine a nice young turkey saying, / 'I can't wait for de chop?'") and Valerie Worth's poignant remembrance of boxed ornaments: "under the split / Lids, a fortune / Shines; globes / Of golden and sapphire, / Silver spires and / Bells, jewelled / Nightingales with /Pearly tails." You'll find plenty of mangers, shepherds and angels, but also a bit of spice thrown in, enlivening the standard Christmas offerings. --Martha Silano
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