Saturday, December 21, 2013

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
 
 


 

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