Corn cob pipe and carrot nose,
Homemade sleighs out in the snow,
While carol singers sing their songs and rhymes,
All the store fronts shining bright,
Santa Clause arrives tonight,
For those who can afford a Christmas time.

But in a brightly lighted store,
Huddled up outside the door,
Trying to keep the cold out of his bones,
A vagrant sits and begs for change,
No-one even knows his name,
As they turn their heads away and hurry home.

Though now and then, someone will stop,
And into his cup, a few coins drop,
As their way of helping share the Christmas cheer,
But they won’t stop to talk, just rush on by,
Afraid to catch the vagrant’s eye,
Lest they notice it is filled with lonesome tears.

And as Santa’s sleigh bells ring out loud,
Above the laughter of a joyous crowd,
Gathered to see the lights and tinsel shine,
Bing Crosby and Dean Martin croon,
Their old familiar Christmas tunes,
To those who can afford a Christmas time.

While almost unnoticed, half way across town,
A blue light shines as sirens sound,
And someone’s yule tide’s just come to an end,
Nobody knows or seems to care,
It’s a time for gifts and wine, not prayer,
Unless it’s their family or a friend.

For Christmas is a holiday,
Not religious festival these days,
It’s the season to pig out on food and wine,
To buy gifts, nobody wants or needs,
To indulge our own most basic greed,
For those of us that can afford a Christmas time.

And as for the ones in poverty?
Well they’re no concern for you and me,
Surely they’re for someone else to help,
Society these days has changed,
And no-one wants to take the blame,
For looking out for no-one but themselves.

Good will to all is antiquated,
And love thy neighbour is so out dated,
And charity a concept much besmirched,
The Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ,
By high tech games are pushed aside,
And few, if any of us go to church.

While outside our windows, Dean and Bing,
And the Salvation army choir sing,
As somewhere, someone falls victim to a crime,
And a child is beaten or abused,
And another’s human rights are being refused,
But it’s Christmas, for those who can afford a Christmas time.


By S.E.Ralph

5-9-2017