Christmas 2013

It seems the more important Christmas has become to insure solvency for retailers, causing them to stay open on Thanksgiving or begin Black Friday at the crack of midnight, the more difficult to see or hear the word "Christmas", be serenaded by Christmas carols at schools, or enjoy Nativity scenes.  For those of you sick of watched commercials of men in tuxes and underwear,  jiggling their "bells" or yet another parody of the Night Before Christmas to sell goods, or being a member of that select group of 40 million Target shoppers who have had their credit information hacked into, take a deep breath and reflect on what Christmas is supposed to be, not the be all end all of being judge by the quality and quantity of the gifts you give, but rather the celebration of the birth of Christ. May peace be with you on this Christmas season and throughout the coming year. I hope you enjoy the poem I wrote for this Christmas. Merry Christmas to all!

 

CHRISTMAS 2013

This Christmas season much of the nation is held hostage by an arctic front

Chilling rains, windswept blizzards, cancelled flights and stranded travelers to hunt

Even our sunny California is losing its sunny, fair weather charm

Frantic searches for hats, gloves, sweaters, furs to keep us warm

Even in crowded malls with swirling shoppers with temps of 98.6

We are still shivering; even shopping in a frenzy does not do the warming trick

We are in the age of global warming yet huddling against the arctic breeze

It may not yet be a White Christmas at the beach, but healthcare.gov seems to freeze

In this age of global warming, even at Christmas the rhetoric will not melt

Sadly, Red and Blue search for new epitaphs of blame on each other to pelt

Where is the warming as we cruise round and round for a parking place?

Our reservoir of peace of mind collapsing, leaving barely the tiniest of trace

We are creating a warming carbon footprint larger than that of Shaq O’Neal

Caught up in a dog eat dog, all for a space to search for the latest must--have deal

Staying warm in these arctic blasts may even hunts for gifts surpass

But this Alaskan has a warming suggestion that is guaranteed to work and to last

You do not need a furnace, Yule log fire or even politicians spewing hot air

No, here is the key; here is the secret that Santa has asked me to share

No matter the stress, no matter the crowds, no matter the loss of time,

Or even the rudeness in this time of peace or how many hurdles to climb

Take a breath, slow down, close your eyes, listen to the notes in the air,

Listen to the chimes; look at the children in line to meet Santa in his chair

Look forward to listening and feeling the squeals of excitement of children bounding down the stairs

Stopping only for the briefest moment at the empty milk glass and cookie crumbs to stare

Their knowing nod, “We have not become mini, jaded adults we’ve proof that he was there

And this nod that may knock you flat, “Maybe this is the day my gifts with my siblings I will share,”

Then anticipate the feel of the warmth of friction as gift wrappings are torn apart

The feeling of the joy of children and your loved ones to warm the chambers of your heart

The magic of Christmas so easily found in their eyes, which sparkles and reflects

You will feel the cold adult armor shedding and the children’s beliefs you will now gladly accept

You do not need mistletoe on this day or any other to with your partner hold and kiss

Knowing that you have not forgotten the most important gifts upon your list

The Magi braved the cold nights also but in the deserts with gifts of frankincense and myrrh

Today with chaos in the Middle East, those resin supplies are very hard to procure

Now, gold can be found and of course for a loved one, it can be bought

But if maxed out by Black Friday and Cyber Monday, here’s a far better thought

Don’t waste time and dollars roaming in desperation in a retailer’s physical or online shelf

A better use of time would be to look within and give the lasting give of a part of one’s self

Not just to friends and family that is a truism one needs not to state

But also to the stranger, especially one with only crumbs of hope on his plate

For with that comes to both the donor and donee

The desired trinity of peace, tranquility and serenity

Christmas as a celestial path in the heavens comes but once a year

But so given, this trinity will whisper daily in your heart and ear

“To enjoy and keep these gifts, these gifts you must daily exude and give

Peace, tranquility, and serenity are a far better way to live.”

Even the children after a cyclone of gifts to open and begin to play

Know that something more than toys is so precious on this day

Warm hugs and a sense of peace to one’s soul adhere

The gift that keeps on giving on Christmas and each day of the year

© December 18, 2013 Michael P. Ridley, aka the Alaskanpoet