Green Bikes Or Ham

The deadly white of winter had descended. Mountain high piles of snow braced the phone poles. Mufflers donned we left for school unattended for mother lay crying in her bed, we were not whole. Father left many nights ago it seemed we did not know the why, the what or when, just then what would we do for Christmas, mother screamed. In this earthly sorrow two little girls cried again. All of eight was I, and she was but three, No tree was dressed within the cold, white, rented farm house only paper chains no sweet cane candy the kitchen cupboards were bare even for the mouse. The night bleak, mother pulled us on a sled to Gran's we went, through snow and cold for dinner time. Ma's heart had gone, when Father left her bed Downcast, we trudged without Daddy's car, we climbed. We came home and settled in, night brought surprise our Daddy had come home, and it was Christmas night he brought me a bike, a green and white prize But all I cared about was the smile in his eyes.