NIGHTLIGHT AT CHRISTMAS (FINAL VERSION)

(to my dear sister Sharon, at Christmas and always)

keep a candle in your heart

when it gets scary in the dark

and keep o keep your Christmas glow

like Eloise, that hint of snow that jingle jangle

very merry way of living, chocolate cherry

recall our trees with bubble lights, the color wheel

the angel flights and angel abra carousels

and all the reasons to be well,  

dismissed from school, the final bell

and then released to Christmas vacation

oh what a joy of preparations

remember when the snow was new

and with our Gramp the snow igloo

we built and lived in for a bit

then went inside for peppermint

ice cream, frothy in the bowl and crunchy candy

good you know, brazil nuts, oranges, gold doubloons,

stuffed in our stockings in the living room

petit fours on a delicate plate

and oh how hard it was to wait!

and how our Poochum pranced around

and tore the wrappings with a bound

and in the window from the front

the sweet nativity yellow light

beckoned us home from the angel pageants...

it seemed so real the Christmas star

hanging over our backyard

that's how I feel, how  I felt then

remember starshine on the wind

remember carols from Goodyear

the Holly Ball, and dollies dear and books galore

and wondrous toys how happy we were

with Christmas joys  and Mama sang oh Holy Night

and Grandmother hugged us very tight

and most of all in the manger crib

we felt that baby Jesus lived

and was our friend and loved us so

oh keep, o keep your Christmas glow.

for it is really all you know and all we needed

ever to know of Heaven.

mary angela douglas 23 november 2021