A Christmas Wish by Philippe Brisebois

I heard a knock on my door one Christmas Eve,

As I looked out my window a man I could see,

he was cold and seemed so lonely and upon a bended knee

he asked can you spare anything for me to eat....

I opened up the door and as I helped him in,

he looked up at me with such a peacful grin,

As he drank down some coffee and had a bite to eat,

I put more wood by the fireplace he warmed his tired hands,

I wonder where did he come from, this quiet white haired man,

but I wasn't at all afriad of his peaceful ways you see,

this man dressed in poor, almost as poor as me...

As he left he turned and thanked me for all I had done,

but he forgot to take his gloves, so out the door I run,

He was gones in the blizzard and I couldn't hardly see,

so I took his old glove's back to the house with me...

Just a little after midnight I awoke in the dark,

there wasn't a bit of fire just glowing cinders in the dark,

and where I'd placed his gloves by my little christmas tree,

there laid a brand new pair, and a Christmas Card for me....

and it read...

You gave me shelter and food to keep me warm,

you even tried to bring me my gloves in the storm,

so here's you a new pair,... the finest ever seen...

as an angel of the Lord

I'll be sure to tell the King.... Merry Christmas....

~Billy M. Smallwood

I chose this poem to write about because I was watching the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation while I was trying to decide which kind of poem to find. A little silly to be showing a Christmas movie on television during the summer, but I'm not complaining; Christmas is one of the best holidays of the year. But, of course, everyday is Christmas if you believe in it (sappy, I know, I think I got it from a Christmas movie).

I think this poem should be renamed "The Meaning of Christmas" or "The True Meaning of Christmas" because this poem focuses more on what Christmas is really about than anything else. Smallwood's poem creates the sense that Christmas is about helping others out, no matter how old they are, what they look like, how they're dressed or if they're poor or rich. The main character in this poem took Santa in when he was dressed as an old, poor man and was rewarded with special gloves, "the finest ever seen." I enjoyed reading this poem; it really gets someone into the Christmas/giving mood.