CHRISTMAS MEMORIES ~ Southern Style

CHILDHOOD CHRISTMAS

Christmastime at our house
Was such a joyous thing;
There was much anticipation
Of what the day would bring.

For many months prior,
The list making would begin;
There were so many things I wanted,
On pure memory I couldn't depend.

I carried handy 'round with me
A trusty little list.
There was not one single thing,
I wanted my parents to miss.

And every year, without a doubt,
I couldn't ask for any better,
For I 'd get everything on my list,
Down to the very letter.

The night before, my brother and I,
Would always try our best;
To catch ole Santa in his tracks,
So we'd get little rest.

We'd try to keep ourselves alert,
With a flashlight by our side;
But, every year ole St. Nick
Would cleverly by us slide.

We must have fallen fast asleep,
Before the morning's light;
Because our toys appeared miraculously,
Sometime through the night.

In our den, the floor was covered,
With toys of every kind;
The sheer volume of them all,
Would surely blow your mind.

We'd jump around from here to there,
And squeal with pure delight;
We couldn't have concealed our excitement,
If we tried with all our might.

Later on in the day,
The relatives would pour in;
For the traditional Christmas dinner,
With us and all our kin.

We's have such an array of food,
Usually, specialties of the South;
One year, we even had a whole roasted pig,
With an apple in his mouth.

We'd exchange gifts and laughter,
And each other's company enjoy ;
The men would often help assemble,
Some child's complicated toy.

Our festivities usually lasted,
Way into the night;
And after all was said and done,
We felt everything went just right.
Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems
by Patricia Neely-Dorsey, Copyright © 2008


MERRY CHRISTMAS, Y'ALL!