Tuesday, December 1, 2015

JUANITA GARCIA VERA


Juanita Garcia Vera

THE CHRISTMAS GIFT

It was the coldest night
December Twenty Fourth …
I was running
Around the house
As the cold wind blew
Through the crevices
Of the bare wood floor
A blast of icy wind
Cut like a knife my feet,
Skin, into my soul
Felt like broken glass
That cut deep
Made me so cold
It whistled from the
Rafters and
Through the gaps
Of the windows and doors
One small heater
And the stove and oven on

Hardly, took the edge off
The cold wind blowing
It was Christmas Eve
And family and friends
Had come to celebrate
We nestled around
The  fire
That father had lit
While we listened intently
To the elders speak
Going around the circle
They reminisced of life
And their memories
I could feel the crisp air
Biting my face
A clear, star filled sky
And full silver moon
Filled me with wonder
As the spirit moved through
The men remained sitting
Around the warm fire

Talking, laughing, telling
Tales of adventure and dreams
While we ran
Without care
Playing tag and
Hide and seek
In open fields
Whilst women worked
Long into the evening
Cooking the Christmas Meal
At midnight
We all gathered
As the gifts were given
One apple, one orange
One toy for little ones
Clothes or shoes for the older child
Peanuts, pecans and candy
Enough food to partake
And fill our appetites
While Christmas music played


It was the best Christmas
I had ever had
I had my mother, father,
Sisters, and brothers,
Family, friends
We sat about laughing,
Talking, just hanging around
The cold hardly bothered,
At all, as we huddled close
I always
Remember that day
Long ago
The time we had little
Yet had much to give
So much to be thankful for
For the gift was most precious
That we had received
It was family and friends
Not money or things

© Juanita Garcia Vera

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