Childhood Christmas
The tree with its candles cheerful and bright
Has etched itself deeply in memory's sight.
The toys were not many, the fare was not grand,
But I was the luckiest child in the land.
The snow sparkled sharply outside the door,
And the house a bright mantle of icicles wore.
But the inside was warm with the love that was there
With a spirit of giving and wanting to share.
The popcorn was strung and the cranberries too;
The shabby old ornaments even looked new.
The story of Christmas was read to us all,
And the carols we sang I still can recall.
Then snuggled in bed on a cold Christmas night
And up with the first of the dawn's faintest light.
Yes, there stood the tree, the most beautiful ever;
It was and it is and it will be forever.
~ June R. Collins
This very much describes my own childhood Christmases, especially the third stanza where stringing cranberries and popcorn is described. We usually strung only popcorn, but I think one year we did alternate with cranberries. The phrase "the shabby old ornaments even looked new" surely speaks of those days. So many of our ornaments were old, and were more shabby than not. Yet we treasured each one and enjoyed placing them just so on that beautiful Christmas tree each year!
Sweet, sweet poem. Those Ideals magazines are treasure troves of poetry, essays, and images. I think my childhood trees looked a lot like yours. We had some ancient ornaments from great-great grandparents. I have them yet.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet poem. I remember our "shabby ornaments".
ReplyDeleteI love the poem. We had quite a few presents under the tree on Christmas morning, but the ornaments were old and (to my mind) beautiful. I haven't decorated for Christmas in so long I'm not even sure I can remember if I have any of them. I can sure remember some special ones, though - all these many years later.
ReplyDeleteI would love to do cranberry and popcorn... might have to do that when the grandkids are old enough... memories to make!
ReplyDelete