Christmas In Summer
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This is my third poem in a serious in recognition of those amongst us facing a terminal illness. It is my hope that we sort out the small problems in life i.e. finances from the larger ones.
The third surgery didn’t work
He tells her there can be another one.
He lies. Struggles to look in her eyes
She apologizes from a restless state
"I Won’t be here to see them graduate.
I won’t live to see Christmas will I?"
“You’ll have the best Christmas ever.”
Doesn’t take Algebra to realize
That February plus three to six months
Is a few months short of never
“Will there be Christmas music?”
“Yes, there will be lots of music.”
She squeezes his trembling hand
IV drips were never part of the plan
“Perry Como was the
First Christmas song we ever danced to.”
“No! I remember. It Was Santa Baby.”
“Will there be mistletoe?
“Lots and lots of mistletoe.”
“Earth Kitt sang Santa baby.
I’m sure our first song was
Home For The Holidays
Perry Como.
You know I am never wrong
When it comes to our song."
And talking about Christmas in February
Is a lot less depressing than talking
About the final stages of Ovarian cancer
For a twenty-eight year old woman
Surgeons in the hall completely out of magic
A love story destined to end tragic
“When we have our Christmas
Will you hold me like you did
The first time?”
Can I sleep in your arms?
Can i have music?
I want to wear a Red Santa hat.
I want you to hold me while
The music plays.
Am i asking too much??”
And every Target in a 30 mile radius
Has put away their evergreens
You to explain to the clerk why you
You need a Perry Como CD
In late February at Walgrens
So you Amazon this and Ebay that
To buy pieces of Christmas on the Internet
And you Google this and you Google that
Even the ridiculous Santa hat
And explain to twelve different neighbors
Why you are putting Christmas lights up
When you just took them down
But march and April comes around
Then May and June
The Doctors call and say, Soon
A few months later
The doctor finally tells you
She’s down to her final hours
“We have done everything in our power.”
You push her in a wheel chair
And prepare for a Christmas to remember
And no one really cares that it’s September
Or that the Mistletoe is plastic
And from the dollar store
And four three foot reindeer on the lawn
And the Christmas lights stay on
A can of Blue Diamond almonds was about
As close to chestnuts you could get
“These are not chestnuts.These are almonds.”
“Are not.”
”Are too.”
“I am cold. Can you hold me?”
Two children frolic around the tree
As the gift wraps come undone
Not knowing they will go to sleep
With two parents and wake up with one
"Kiss your mother goodnight."
You Send the kids upstairs
Tell them to wash up
And say their prayers
They look into the eyes of their frail mother
And she looks into theirs
“You remembered the open fire.
We never had a fireplace.
When did we get a fireplace?
Aren't fireplaces expensive?
You know we have a lot of bills
I love the sound of fire.
You were right for once.
Perry Como wasn’t our first song.
And it wasn’t Eartha Kitt either
We were both wrong (laughs)
It was
It was
(fading breaths)
The Christmas Song
Can you play it?
I want to hear it before I
Before I
Head behind her shoulder
He kisses her hair..Holds her
...And so, I'm offering this
Simple phrase to kids from
One to ninety-two
Altho' it's been said many times
Many ways
Merry Christmas to you”
“This this is..the happiest Christmas
You have ever shared with me
(Fade out) (She dies)
He only wished he could agree.
Copyright © Michael Ellis | Year Posted 2016
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