Flash 55 Plus

Greetings, denizens of the Garden, hedgewitch here standing in for Kerry, who has been dragged away by the tedious demands of the real world and nasty things like employment. I will do my best in her place to host this monthly event, where the rules are short and sweet:
Write exactly 55 words--no more, no less--of prose, poetry or microfiction  on the topic of your choice, and link it to this challenge.






PLUS!

Public domain

To make things more interesting, as always there is an optional plus to the prompt for those who want additional challenge or guidance, and for this month of the winter solstice, it comes from the seasonal theme of a traditional English carol called The Holly and The Ivy. (Though this song is about as Christian as you can get, for some reason it always reminds me of Druids.)

So, using the emphasis of the carol on the two plants, and on pairings, in your 55 you must explore, contrast or complement  the idea of two: two colors, two symbols, two plants, two animals, two events, two people--well, you see where I'm going here, two of anything--or you can employ various pairings of elements as the carol does.

I want to emphasize, the Plus! part of the challenge is optional, and your piece does NOT have to be in any way about the holiday or season, but it can be if you wish.

Here is a link to the full text of the carol: The Holly and The Ivy

That's it, toadlings. Have at it, link up the results below, and don't forget to hop by your fellow toads' lilypads. I look forward to seeing double and hearing 'sweet singing in the choir.' And as always, fond memories and gratitude to the G-Man, who hosted this meme for so many years with grace and incomparable humor. He is missed.