News from Squire's Isle

December 10 – Miranda Powell

 

Nadine is going to murder me for admitting this, but I figure if you can’t be honest about Christmas songs… she hates for me to admit in public the kind of music I listen to. Oldies are great, I love ’em, listen to them all day at work. But I like to have a little something different when I get home. And it drives Nadine absolutely insane that my favorite Christmas song is “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues.

 

Sure it has foul language, but it has a kind of gritty beauty. Kind of like New York City. I’ll never regret moving to Squire’s Isle. It gave me a job I adore, it brightened my life, and it introduced me to Nadine. I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. But sometimes when I get homesick or nostalgic, start to think about back home, this song really brings it to life for me. The image of drunken fools leads to memories of those dark little bars I used to frequent. That brings to mind the dark streets, little flurries of undaunted snowflakes swirling down between the skyscrapers. That’s Christmas to me, and this song brings all those great feelings back.

 

This year, Nadine and I are going to sit in front of the couch in our pajamas, eating milk and cookies while we wait for Santa, and I’ll cover Nadine’s ears while I play this song on the radio. I don’t mind; it gives me an excuse to put my arms around her and hold her close.

 

So happy Christmas, everybody, and may all your dreams come true.

 

– Miranda Powell appears in the novel On the Air, and short stories Workwoman’s Wages, The Christmas Boat, Fairytales of Squire’s Isle and Eating Out in Squire’s Isle.