Friday, December 23, 2011

Old Folks Home

Dad fell off the ladder
Hanging the lights
Now in a body cast
It’s quite a sight
Mom sprained her ankle
Dragging the tree in the door
And they wonder why
No one will hire them anymore

Us kids are doing great
Our careers blossom
One moved away
Other’s getting married
To be young and vibrant
Is pretty awesome
So around here that’s the deal
Dad can’t write till he is healed

Sits in his chair
A grizzled grump
Mom has an ankle
With a big old lump
Don’t know who
Half of you are
And we really don’t care
Dad told us to send this
From his wheelchair


Tuesday, December 20, 2011

A Force of Good

Tough times, struggles many
Others worse off than you
Count your blessings, there are plenty
Strap on your boots buckaroo
Do what you should
Remain a force of good

The place to begin is within
Appreciate the beauty of your soul
A smile, a touch, kind words
Will do more than you know
Universally understood
Remain a force of good

Listen to your dreams
Spark another’s spirit embers
Your warm love beams
Best way to be remembered
Know you did all you could
Remain a force of good

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Gift Giving


What did you give last year
What did you get
The junk we gift and collect
What is real
We seem to neglect

Indulge and consume big business screams
We know best what you should dream
Homes are lost, the jobs are gone
We’ll control the vote, just shop at dawn
Fill our tills you foolish pawns

I used to participate
But I don’t go there anymore
What’s important
Can’t be found in a store

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Imaginate

Can’t help but imaginate
What good could be done
The world we should create
If every day we would celebrate
Instead of just one

Believed in the magic
Of kindness, love and cheer
Nightly news void of tragic
All through the year

War sat on the bookshelf
Hate collected dust
Learned to really love our self
Cared for each other
With dignity and trust

Took just what we needed
Gave all that we had
And chose to propagate
A world full of glad

Reflect upon this holiday
And how it makes you feel
Retain it all year long
Replace imaginate with real

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Legacy

Did you kiss a heart so tenderly
Way back in gloomy January
Did you lift the spirit of your Valentine
Enrich a mind in springtime
Were you inspired by the summer sun
To put a smile on a random someone
Were you kind to everyone in autumn
Simply because that’s who you’ve become

Another calendar headed for the recycle bin
‘Tis the flagrant season once again
But presents under the tree
Both given and received
Won’t be your legacy

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Wrapping Paper Blues

Pumpkin pie and gobbler gone
Time grew a pair of wings
City boy with sappy hands
The annual Paul Bunyan thing

Tree stand in the attic
With decorations galore
Right next to last year’s promise
Not to do this season
Last minute anymore

To and from the traffic crawl
Inside they push and shove
No thank you shopping malls
I go somewhere different
For the ones I love

Christmas Eve is over
I got the wrapping paper blues
Each corner fold botched
Oh no, I am out of scotch
Duct tape and beer will have to do

Friday, December 9, 2011

Scooter’s First Christmas


I saw Scooter kissing Mrs. Claus

Underneath her cheeks of rose last night

He didn’t hear me creep

When I got up to take a leak
He thought I was tucked
In bed fast asleep
Then
I saw Scooter licking Mrs. Claus
Underneath her hair so snowy white
Oh, I can’t tell Momma
Her canine is a two-timing fella
Thank goodness she didn’t have to pee
When Scooter kissed Mrs. Claus last night

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Cherish The Moments


A smile from a stranger

You will never see again

A hug and a kiss

From a dear old friend

A generous donation

To someone else’s next of kin

That favorite decoration

You’ve hung since way back when

 

Cards, notes and photos of sweet faces

From all sorts of different places

Watching unexpecting eyes

Unwrap that special surprise

A quick trip to an oasis paradise

 

Full bellies rumble the walls with laughter

A day nobody declares the house a disaster

A little love, a little thought

Homemade gifts, not store bought

A letter or phone call from far away

Family together Christmas Day

These are the cherished moments

That won't ever be forgot


Monday, December 5, 2011

Childhood Christmas Memories

Before my bedtime Christmas Eve
Santa came to my front door
With brand new running shoes for me
That night in bed I wore

Rumors on the playground
That he doesn’t really exist
But I had seen him two years before
Those rumors I dismissed

Went shopping with Mom one cold December
The things she put in her cart that day
Were under the tree from Santa for my brother
So much for reindeer and sleigh

The torch was passed to my sister
To wake us all up at 4 AM
Cookies, milk and carrots
Were all gone once again
One year she couldn’t wake us up
So she opened all her gifts alone
Living room destroyed by a wrapping paper cyclone

Wonder what my children will remember
Cinnamon roll from Nana
Christmas poems from Santa
Can only hope it’s the glowing ember
Of love that rises up in December

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Christmas Evolution


Our children used to wake us up
When Christmas morn arrived
Teen years, defibrillator required
To confirm they were still alive

Baby birds fly the coop
Father Time takes his toll
Life’s circle completes another loop
An empty nest before you know

Destined to wait by the phone
And checking our email
The misses and I sit here all alone
Just one more look
At the old Santa photo book
Memories prevail