THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
The city council met at Nine
To debate the issues of the
day,
Their session started with a prayer,
But didn't end that way.
By Four O'clock a shouting match
Had erupted in the
room,
So much controversy,
The whole council out of tune.
It seems that city funds were low,
And Christmas time was
near,
Their fight was over Christmas lights,
And other Christmas
gear.
One side said, "No! Don't waste the dough,"
Those opposing
said, "We must,
We owe it to the townsfolk,
Who've put their trust in
us."
"Well, that's too bad." They shook their heads,
"Life
isn't always fair,"
Then they agreed no lighted tree,
No decorations in
The Square.
No shiny tinsel, no colored lights,
No gleaming garlands
twined around,
The town's old Fir would stand as is,
Untouched and bare
upon the ground.
The townsfolk were, of course, upset,
That year'd been hard
on everyone,
The mill was closed and business bad,
The town was near
undone
Money was tight ... no work at hand,
The Christmas season
looked bleak,
Folks depressed and in despair,
This Christmas ... bitter-sweet.
The day before Christmas came and went,
Small children were
warned Christmas Eve,
Don't plan on Santa Claus to come,
And don't expect
a Christmas tree.
Sad little faces then went to bed.
And drifted off to
sleep,
Their parents snugly tucked them in,
And kissed their tear-stained
cheeks.
Well, God works in mysterious ways,
As we adults have come
to know,
And that very night at Midnight,
Arose a terrible blow.
The wind came up and rang the bells,
In every church bell
tower,
They rang in joy together,
In pronouncement of the hour.
Then the heavens opened up,
And ten million snow flakes
fell,
That covered every house and tree,
And spread a Christmas spell.
The moonlight shimmering on the snow
Reflected many
times,
No Christmas lights were quite as bright,
As those that this night
shined.
And in the morning ... Christmas Day,
A magic wonderland
appeared,
Its beauty far surpassed
The man-made frills of prior
years.
A white dove, like an angel,
Sat atop the old Fir
tree,
And cardinals strung red berries 'round,
For everyone to see.
Snowdrops clung like garlands,
While icicles gleamed from
limbs,
Busy chipmunks scattered acorns,
And squirrels brought red flowers
in.
The children were delighted,
And the adults smiled all
day,
Only God could decorate,
In such a wondrous way.
Forget the city council,
And the mill that was shut
down,
Those things can't spoil Christmas,
Nor the reason it was
found.
Just thank the Grand Designer,
For doing things His
way,
Merry Christmas to You All,
And God Bless Your Christmas
Day.
Virginia (Ginny) Ellis
Copyright December
2003