A
Memorable Christmas
Christmas is a magic
time, especially for kids;
it turns into nostalgic memory.
The year was 1932 that I'm remembering now.
It was magic for my family and me.
Early Christmas Eve, big Sis and I trudged into the woods,
where she chopped down the tree I'd helped her choose,
startled by the squirrels and rabbits scamperin' 'cross our path,
dragging it home thru' snow above our shoes.
We stood it by the window and draped it with strings of balls
and angels wearing hair of soft spun glass.
There were crayoned cornucopias and guilded pinecones
and paper chains we kids had made in class.
Then we prepared for Santy Claus' visit in our home
by hanging stockings Mom brought out for us,
to hold an apple and an orange, nuts and candy, too.
Hard candy meant first licking off the fuzz.
We played and sang the Christmas songs that we had learned in
school.
I guess that our excitement got too high,
for Daddy stepped outside, but hurried back in with good news,
that he'd seen reindeer flying thru the sky.
We quickly dressed in flannel nightgowns by the kitchen range.
We followed Mom upstairs by oil lamp light.
She tucked us in our cold beds and advised, "Go right to
sleep."
We snuggled down and squeezed our eyes closed tight.
Yes, that turned out to be a special year, for when dawn came,
I sneaked downstairs - and standing in a row
were three red carriages for my small sisters and myself.
Each held a dolly with a big hair bow.
Silently, I climbed back up the stairs and got into bed.
Excitedly, I thought of our surprise.
Later, when my sisters woke up, we all crept down the stairs.
I watched, as stars danced in my sisters' eyes.
I wondered how ol' Santy knew what we'd been wishing for;
I'd only asked him for a book of rhymes.
Even at six years old, I knew making ends meet was rough
for my folks in those bleak Depression times.
- Lillian Arnold Lopez "Pineylore"