Member-only story
POETRY
The Tree
And the spirit of Christmas
Note: Below the poem is an audio clip of the author reading the poem.
Each day, at the edge of the Christmas tree lot,
the scruffiest tree stood alone.
It hadn’t a hope it would ever be bought
and taken to somebody’s home.
A grandfather, out for his walk past the site,
observed a young girl looking round.
At first, he was wondering which tree she would buy,
but parents were nowhere around.
Her clothing was ragged, with rips at the knee.
Her jacket was faded and grey.
The girl looked with longing at that sorry tree.
Dejected, she then turned away.
He learned, from the seller, she’d come every hour.
Her dad, though, had just been laid off.
Their Christmas, that year, was beginning to sour,
The girl seemed about to give up.
The oldster came up with an excellent scheme.
The seller agreed to chip in.
That night, with some friends, they delivered her dream;
her Christmas could finally begin.
