‘Twas the Day After Christmas…
(Based on the wonderful meter of Clement C. More, with a nod or two to Dr. Seuss)
J. Richard Lewis
‘Twas the day after Christmas, spirit was waning fast
And the bones and the ghosts of the splendid repast
Were evident here and unmissable there,
The tatters of Christmas scattered everywhere.
Is that Jesus knocked from nativity bed,
And a poor broken shepherd, fallen down on his head?
The lights look askew from their cheery right place
And the tree looks akilter, somehow lost its grace.
The gifts and the toys, once so cheery and bright,
Some already broken, oh no, what a fright!
Lost pieces and cards from puzzles and game
We’d hoped could be different, but each year just the same.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Now hiding, leaving nothing but mud here below
Barely out of my bed, but I’m already worn,
As I wade through the remnants, this post-Christmas morn.
O the turkey the trimmings, the stuffing and pie,
The remains of our feasting fill fridge and my eye,
The counters are cluttered with cookies galore
And there’s crumbs and some wrappings still lost on the floor.
The pounds from the cookies encircle my waist
As the holiday cheer seems to flee with great haste.
Is this all that’s left, besides bills and now cleaning?
Is there more from these parties for spiritual gleaning?
Must Christmas, with price tags, just come from a store?
Or might it, perhaps, bring us something much more?
Is Christmas now over, gone quick as a wink,
There’s got to be more, I sure hope and sure think!
If Christmas BEGINS twelve days of God’s blessing,
Why, then, is it put away with leftover dressing?
Are the twelve days of Christmas but a marketing ploy
Or could there be more than fleeting Christmas joy?
We’ve eleven more days of this spiritual feast,
Even if season’s shopping left us feeling fleeced.
What might each day bring, if the Spirit we live,
If we reshape the question, “what gift would you GIVE?”
We’ve eleven more days, people’s spirits to brighten,
Finding ever more ways, others’ hearts to enlighten.
Who, then, might we pray for, in this season of hope?
Let’s rather spread cheer than that post-season mope.
The Gift’s just begun, we’ve more blessings to bring!
Don’t let humbugs tell you there’s no more to sing!
‘Fore the joy of the season gets packed out of sight,
Let Christmas keep shining to God’s great delight!