CHRISTMAS ALONE <br /> <br /> <br /> When I was a child <br /> Christmas was such a loving joy <br /> Sweetly enhancing the soul <br /> With memories of smiles and laughter <br /> Wearing paper hats, pulling crackers <br /> Golden times with my parents and brother. <br /> <br /> Late on Christmas Eve <br /> Close to the midnight hour <br /> My father would creep silent as a mouse <br /> Into the bedroom I shared with my brother <br /> Filling our pillowcases with toys <br /> While we pretended to sleep. <br />. <br /> At noon, we sat around a laden table <br /> With turkey crisp and golden <br /> Ready to be carved; legs for my brother and me. <br /> Sage and onion stuffing, roast potatoes, brussel sprouts, <br /> Then the luscious rounded Christmas pudding <br /> With hidden three-penny pieces inside bringing us luck. <br /> <br /> Now, alone and frail in white-haired old age <br /> Parents and brother long gone <br /> I eat alone and watch the Queen on TV <br /> Doze awhile dreaming of other Christmases <br /> When I was a child sitting at a laden table <br /> Hearing my family's laughter sharing in their joy.<br /><br />Colin Ian Jeffery<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/christmas-alone/
