Christmas comes but once a year
But it leaves a heavy price
Cause' nothings free in this mad world
You must pay to have your slice

It's sad to see you work all year
To pay the debt December brings
But you brought it all on yourself my friend
When you bought so many things

Cause' Christmas isn't like before
When children smiled at what they got
Now it's a high tech multi million deal
The big companies have seen to that

So somethings lost, we can't retrieve
And the meaning of giving is gone
There's a dark and frenzied sickness now
Where once a bright light shone

So when Scrooge said 'HUMBUG' the people frowned
But maybe old Ebeneezer was right
Perhaps the spirit of things to come
Showed him the way of this sorry plight

But people will do what people do
And the spending will increase
Then the memories of our Christmas past
Will be gone, and the joy will cease

                            G J Tate