A Christmas ...

Blog 148:

I remember …

I remember a season …

I remember a season called Christmas …

Of now gone mid-19^th century

A Christmas without …

A lowly Christmas …

I remember …

I remember a Christmas night

After a supper of porridge and fish-

My brothers said Santa Claus was coming

So I must go to sleep and dream …

My brothers said Santa was going to bring treats

Candies and cakes, ice-cream and chocolate-

My brothers said Santa Claus was coming

So I must go to sleep and dream …

My brothers said Mother and Father would be home soon

My brothers said Santa would make sure Grandma got home

In time for midnight rice cakes and tea-

So I must get to sleep and dream …

I went to sleep and dreamt all the dreams

I went to sleep hoping it would be as they told

The hours went … the night passed …

The early sun peaked … then its heat grew warm

I lay in my ‘banig’ and cotton wrap

Thinking through … then recalling

The promises of the past night …

I realized-

Santa Claus never came

There were no candies, no cakes in sight

There were no ice-cream and no chocolate

Mother and Father did not get home

Grandmother did not show up

In time for midnight rice cakes and tea-

I cried a good cry

And went on to lay still some more in my ‘banig’ …

“Enough sleeping,” I muttered.

“Enough dreaming,” I mumbled softly.

I stood up and forgot that night even came and went.

Since then and as far as I can remember today

Of what brothers say

And what really happens

I remember …

I remember a season Called Christmas …

Of now gone mid-19^th century

A Christmas without …

A lowly Christmas …

Nonetheless, it was a Christmas indeed!