Monday, December 15, 2008

Last Christmas

I wrote this parody last year to read at our extended family Christmas Party, which we held at the Fargher Lake Grange. My mother went to the party even though she was feeling quite ill. The day after the party she had to go into the hospital. My Aunt Joyce was also there, even though she was having health problems of her own. Mom is at home now. Aunt Joyce has been in and out of the hospital over the past year and her condition is very serious as I write this.

A Child’s Christmas in Amboy
by Bobby Lee Gaynor

‘Twas the night before Christmas,
and all the presents were fixed,
Ma and Pa said "Come on!
Let’s go out to Nick’s.
I’ll have an egg nog
and you your red beer--
Take our minds off of Santa
and his smelly rein deer."

We children were snoring in our little bunk beds
While visions of Christmas loot danced in our heads.
And Mama in her high heels and Pa in his hat,
Slipped out the back door past Lisa’s white cat.

When out on the lawn there arose such a fray,
I knew it was the sound of our blue Chevrolet,
Out of my bed I jumped like a light.
To see that old car vanish into the night.

The moon on the crest of the new-fallen snow,
Lit up my brothers on the bunk beds below,
I told them to get up and wake up the girls,
Now was the time to give our presents a whirl.

They lept from their beds so lively and quick,
Happy our parents had gone out to Nick’s.
Faster than lightning, we gathered our haul
Barbies, and Kens, and presents for all:

Here’s Lisa, here’s Carol, and something for Davy,
There’s even a box from Bud in the Navy,
Now, Philip, now Gloria, and here’s one for Penny,
Hey, how come Gary got so many?

Open them, open them, open them all,
Pile up the paper to the top of the wall!
Not for one second did we have any doubt,
That this was what Christmas was all about.

Then what to our wondering eyes did appear,
but a beautiful angel with a voice speaking clear:
Children, she said, I’ve a message to tell,
That will clear up your minds
and make your hearts swell.

The meaning of Christmas is beyond lights and trees,
It’s family and friendship and precious memories.
One day very soon you’ll quietly recall
Those aunts, and those uncles,
and how you loved them all.

A Christmas at Grandma’s, a snow-covered hill
A crisp cold night, unbelievably still.
And then you shall know this one fact at least,
That the treasures in life are but love and peace.

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
the angel flew suddenly through the roof to the sky,
Stricken with awe we watched her take flight,
Shouting, "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night."

Now as real as that beautiful angel did seem,
It turns out my story is a winter’s night dream.
Before I could speak, I felt a hand on my arm
and heard my mother’s voice saying,
"Wake up, Bobby Lee, it’s Christmas morn."

I guess you can tell I’ve been up to my tricks,
‘cos nobody, on Christmas Eve at least,
goes drinking at Nick’s.

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