On the Eve

Bedtime came early on Christmas eve "Ok girls", tucked in and kissed, "it's time." Of course we couldn't sleep, no really big crime we counted our wishes, and we really believed. Next mornin we tried bein quite as a mouse sneaked down to a dark room and a tree kinda said together, "Oh my, oh me." Course our squealin woke up the whole house. Momma came down, turned the tree lights on then dad stumbled in, wearin a Santa hat? "Daddy, what the heck is that?" "Oh Santa left it for me before he was gone." We waited that year, for once tried behaving but saw tags with other kids names, felt puzzled, Ok this is some kinda game. "No children your gifts are here, these are for saving." Bundled up warm, "Momma where are we goin?" Told, "Just wait, you will see soon, maybe it will give you a lift?" The car was loaded with all of them mystery gifts wind was howlin, snow was blowin. Dad parked the car, we were all ushered inside there was kids there, some cryin, some screamin seemed no way they could be dreamin, but when we brought in the gifts, there was no way to hide the smiles on their faces lookin at tags, each got a gift I'd long remember it was the 25th day of that December and each too were handed a bag Just trinkets we saw, some of em ours? Yowee we we're gonna ask a lotta questions but on the way home we heard the suggestions "You have much, they have nothing enjoyed in empty hours" We remained quite on the ride, feelin left out got some gifts we really enjoyed games, dolls, some other toys but less than what we thought Santa was about. It was the year I started to think, is it dad, just not fat and asked if they could rewrap all we got go back to the shelter and give em the lot, "Oh and dad, please wear yer Santa hat."