raspberry jam strips

My mother grabs ingredients
from the shelves of her soul, an abundant pantry.
She knows that all will be well
as long as she follows the old, old recipe.

She beats together butter and sugar
in a large bowl on medium speed.
She cracks an egg and blends it in
with delightful drops of vanilla and almond.

Then she whisks together flour and salt
and adds it slowly to make dough,
turns the oven on to heat
and sprinkles flour on the counter like snow.

She divides the dough into pieces.
Then, with her hand or a rolling pin
shapes them into long flat strips
that she dusts with flour again.

She places the strips onto baking sheets,
then takes the back end of a wooden spoon
to carve like a river a line through the middle
that she fills with red raspberry jam.

The cookies go in the oven
until the edges turn light brown.
She lets them cool, then drizzles
a sweet almond glaze o'er the raspberry canyon.

She cuts the strips diagonally
and puts them on a plate
for all the family to enjoy-
our favorite Christmas treat.

My mother's love is Christmas love.
She is fluent in the language of "give."
Her heart blooms in the red center
of each raspberry jam strip.