A Christmas
Story
Long ago, when
he was just a boy,
There was a
Christmas made special
By decoration
and gift--
A Christmas
which would remain
The standard
against which
All future
Christmases would be gauged.
Decoration: hung
upon a short cedar tree
Were icicles and
gum tree balls
Decorated,
covered with chewing gum silver paper
Kept, collected
since summer
Especially for
this time.
Gift: a
cardboard box of cardboard figures
Resting,
attached to their cardboard home,
Now punched out
gently, set free,
Free to assume
their lives of honor and glory
Upon the
linoleum floor.
In front of the
fireplace fire,
Each clean, each
so proud of its uniform and firearm,
Each equipped
with a little cardboard pullout prop
Which would
forever permit each soldier
To remain erect.
Decoration and
gift.
A childhood
Christmas to be remembered.
--December 1,
2013
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