Page 86 - The Gonzaga Record 1989

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

A lull,
Noiselessly the people hurry,
Scurrying from door to door.
A child
Stops to press a peaky paleface
On the window, eyes agog.
A world of wolves and lnjuns, fantasy.
He dreams,
Then Mother grabs his little hand,
And drags him to another nameless store.
He cries,
Suffers Wild West withdrawal symptoms.

They stand,
Nicely bunched together, giving warmth,
Lilting lusty lullabies to Christ.
A coin
Drops into the empty hollow tin,
Another evening's singing past, that's it.
They'll be here again next week. Cheer-o!
Next week,
Maybe frosty hearts will quickly thaw
To glowing eyes and wrapped-up, mufflered songs.
They leave,
And scatter cosy-homeward, through cruel night.

Wind drops,
A voice begins, quite sweet, and low,
To hang upon the snowy air.
A girl
Sits barefoot on the freezing stone,
And gently rocks to Silent Night,
Her shuttered eyes, her open heart.
A crowd
Stops to hear the young girl's tune.
She feels the warmth of lighted faces.
They smile,
And coins fall with the snow.

Patrick Flynn (S 6A)

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