Ah Christmas ho
Ho ho and
All of that
Besides the festivities
Christmas is really
About giving and
Less about receiving
After all God
Gave his only
Son to us
On that day
Remember that when
You give a
Present the present
That you receive
In return is
The surprise and
The glee and
The thank you
Which by the
Way doesn’t come
With the now
Famous return receipt
And one morning
When I was
Ten I opened
The curtains of
My shared bedroom
Wiped the window
Free of frost
And saw Wonderland
My world was
Covered in snow
Like a cake
Blanketed in buttercream
Frosting the pine
Tree boughs heavy
With millions of
Sparkling whipped cream
Diamonds my brothers
And I dashed
Donned in jammies
And robes out
The door skidding
And sliding laughing
Gleefully forming snowballs
Like fluffy balls
Of yarn tossing
Them at each
Other on this
First snow day
As mother greeted
Us with hot
Cocoa and marshmallows
Winter is here
Finally in Wisconsin
And ‘Ti’s the
Season when there
Stands in the
Corner or window
A memory thing
Decorated with lights
And balls sometimes
Popcorn and cranberries
Or candles candy
And kitsch it
Sits quietly absent
Of fanfare given
To royalty surrounded
By baubles trinkets
Toys all surprising
I simply stare
Watching the lights
Dance and bounce
Me surrounded by
Loved ones both
Past and present
This the long
Awaited time of
The Christmas tree
It’s this special
Time of year
When the world
Regains its innocence
When stars sparkle
Brighter in colder
Skies when Heaven
Itself falls as
Light snow covering
Everything in white
Paradise when we’re
More interested in
Giving than receiving
This season where
Sounds and smells
Spark vivid memories
Of simpler times
And especially this
Year when again
The greatest gifts
Wrapped in coats
Scarves and mittens
Find their way
Into our arms
It’s Christmas time
And what if
After all the
Gifts have been
Opened after the
Explosions of laughter
Glee and surprise
There remains the
Last gift the
Last cherished gift
The smallest gift
The gift that
Went unnoticed the
Gift that patiently
Waited for its
Turn to shine
And what if
That gift had
No card to
Whom should it
Go certainly not
To those grabbing
But instead like
The gift itself
To the one
Patiently waiting simply
Because they belong
Together at last
Such is love
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 