In an old faerie magazine
There is a recipe for
A scented brew
To warm the house
Spiced with cranberries and cinnamon and orange and cloves

You obtain a parcel of cranberries
And discover another recipe
Take one cup of sugar
And one cup of water
And stir together over heat
Until the water bubbles
Add three cups of cranberries
Bubble bubble for ten minutes 

The concoction is transformed by the heat
The berries pop and dissolve
And the water thickens into 
Liquid rubies 
An ancient alchemy
Usually practiced in the
Waning months of the year

It’s the new year now
A cold and wet January night
And the zingy sweet syrup 
Gives a glow.