Three weeks before Christmas and inside my house,<\/p>\n
No presents were purchased not even by mouse.<\/p>\n
With Black sales and Cyber deals far in the past,<\/p>\n
Brain fog had settled. How long would it last?<\/p>\n
Have the bargains on iPods all gone away?<\/p>\n
And why was I feeling that’s really okay?<\/p>\n
Mailing cutoffs to the Mainland soon would appear,<\/p>\n
Yet I sat “chillaxing” with a warm cup of cheer.<\/p>\n
No wreath or red ribbon hung anywhere.<\/p>\n
No tree had been trimmed, no stockings hung there.<\/p>\n
No cards with my picture wishing good will and peace<\/p>\n
Were posted to ZIP codes from Haleiwa to Greece.<\/p>\n
Singers had their specials on network TV,<\/p>\n
Rocking the season in The Voice <\/I>and with Glee<\/I>.<\/p>\n
What’s happening to me? I thought to myself.<\/p>\n
Have I not got the spirit? Is it my mental health?<\/p>\n
Then a vision of Christmas from many years past<\/p>\n
Shot through my head like a big rocket blast.<\/p>\n
There was I on the floor of our house on Monroe<\/p>\n
Transfixed by a scene from a time long ago.<\/p>\n
I was all of 6 years on this pre-Christmas night<\/p>\n
When completely entranced, a mysterious sight.<\/p>\n
The little wood structure was rustic and plain,<\/p>\n
Made of cloth and paper, and maybe some stain.<\/p>\n
Within its three walls three figures I saw:<\/p>\n
A woman, a man and a baby on straw.<\/p>\n
Outside the house were small carved sheep<\/p>\n
And a boy with a pole watching them sleep.<\/p>\n
On top of that shelter perched a star colored gold<\/p>\n
Made of paper and glitter. Yes, worn some – and old.<\/p>\n
“Nativity” was the word that my parents used,<\/p>\n
A big word, a new word. It made me confused.<\/p>\n
The baby, they said, came to save us from sin.<\/p>\n
He was love and forgiveness, God’s son, born to men.<\/p>\n
I fell asleep staring at that enchanting scene,<\/p>\n
Trying to comprehend what all it did mean.<\/p>\n
After 60 years later, it’s difficult to see<\/p>\n
That our nation has become ashamed of the nativity.<\/p>\n
The nativity, a symbol of Christ’s own humble start<\/p>\n
Has been replaced across the land with a large shopping cart.<\/p>\n
We have retail survival and consumer indexing.<\/p>\n
It’s fiscal cliffs and national debt and things too perplexing.<\/p>\n
The brave souls who founded the nation we cherish<\/p>\n
Brought with them Christmas tradition never dreaming it could perish.<\/p>\n
The birthday of Jesus, the flawless child of peace,<\/p>\n
Has seen it’s importance ever steadily decrease.<\/p>\n
So, the funk that’s had me frozen is really very clear.<\/p>\n
That childhood Christmas meaning I’ve always held so dear<\/p>\n
Ranks now beneath the value of most every commercial thing<\/p>\n
That dulls the fragile spirit with its hollow, empty ring.<\/p>\n
I’m not against the shopping or gifts to give away.<\/p>\n
Business owners need love, too, but this is all I say:<\/p>\n
Let’s keep Christmas Christmas, not just a bargain day<\/p>\n
To remind ourselves of peace on earth and love that lights the way.<\/p>\n
Merry Christmas to all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Three weeks before Christmas and inside my house, No presents were purchased not even by mouse. With Black sales and..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hawaii-lifestyle-news-opinions","category-susans-page"],"yoast_head":"\n