Saturday, December 24, 2011

Two Days Before Christmas

'Twas two days before Christmas and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring (well...maybe a mouse)
The 23rd of December, and I hadn't done a thing,
Had put up no tree, had done no shop-ping. 

The Christmas decor was still packed out of sight;
The wreath and the tinsel, every bulb, every light.
The garlands, the ornaments, the Santa Claus clock;
The fake tree was still all apart in a box.

I just didn't feel like unpacking that mess;
Putting that stuff up was just extra stress.
What did it matter? There's no one but me.
And I couldn't care less about watching some tree.

(For my grandson the tree would be a nice surprise;
When he came for a visit, it would light up his eyes.
No doubt, the decorations would warm his little heart;
But no doubt, his little hands would take them apart.)

That morning I dragged myself out of bed,
Tried to summon up courage for that thing that I dread:
The malls at the holiday season, I hate.
But I had to go, dammit, it was almost too late!

I thought that Christmas time was about joy, peace, and love,
But the malls are about where push comes to shove.
Rudeness and selfishness replace peace and joy,
The warmth comes from snatching a coveted toy.

Rampant consumerism is the order of the day,
Crass materialism is what really holds sway.
There are gift lists to tend to, there’s stuff to be bought,
Someone grabs what you want, then there’s a fight to be fought.

So go spend, spend, spend, spend; gotta have only the best stuff.
It’s Christmastime; too much is never enough.
And you better be careful in the parking lot;
‘Cause you just never know if your ass might get shot.

I wandered around in this chaos, this display of pure lust.
I felt a mixture of sadness, depression, and disgust.
(While the ladies in tight outfits were a welcome distraction,
Even the booties and boobies could not bring satisfaction.)

So back home I went, with not that much stuff.
My Christmas funk deepened; had I really done enough?
Christmas seemed to have lost some meaning for me;
There’s got to be more than some presents and a tree.

But then I thought, Christmas is in two days.
Tomorrow I will be in church to sing and to praise
To direct my choirs as we sing of Christ’s birth,
Of how he came down from heaven to save mankind on earth.

Then on Christmas my family will all come together,
A tradition I wouldn’t miss, no matter what the weather.
I’ll live, laugh, love, eat, maybe get slightly drunk;
And by then there’s no doubt, I’ll be rid of this funk.

For in the end, God and Family are what make Christmas Day;
All the material gifts, well, they’re only for play.
But the love of Jesus, and of family, will make your minds and heart light,
So Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!










2 comments:

  1. Great Job Keith......I like your take on things

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Barbara. I guess it takes a little bit of a twisted mind :-)

    ReplyDelete