Christmas In Missouri
Reflections of Christmas
The house is quiet when Mom wakes.
The sun yet sleeps as Jack Frost paints on frigid glass.
She reads her Bible and silently prays,
Thankful for her family to be under one roof again.
The smell of butter and cinnamon fills the air,
Rousing children from their dreams of Santa and his sleigh.
Parents wake to the sounds of children cheering Christmas,
And the sound of tiny feet racing to see presents under the tree.
We gather together in the den.
Children barely contain their excitement, but for the moment, there is peace.
Dad reads from The Book—of a virgin mother and a lowly stable,
Of shepherds' awe and angels singing of peace on earth and the birth of the King.
Gifts are dealt, paper is torn,
The whole house echoes with chaos and mirth.
Laughter and joy, wishes fulfilled, gratefulness abounds,
As wrappers and boxes fill every empty space.
The children retreat to play with their treasures.
We gather around a table covered in dotted bones.
We make trains with numbers, and Dad keeps score,
While Mom prepares her famous homemade dinner rolls.
The table is set, and the drinks have been poured.
Our mouths water in anticipation of the meal we only share once a year.
But before we partake, Dad says the prayer,
Thanking God for the food, for family, and most of all, for the birth of the Savior.
The house is quiet now that we’ve had our fill.
The kids watch one last Christmas movie while we slumber on sofas and armchairs,
Filled not just with food,
But with quiet contentment and the love that Christmas brings.
In the morning, we load up our SUV.
Somehow, there’s always so much more than what we came with.
As we pull out of the drive, I wonder
If this is the last time we will all be together.
About the Creator
Altum Veritas
Christ-follower, Writer, Story Teller. I'm passionate about creating stories that resonate emotionally and deeply, exploring the human experience in all its complexity through poetry and dark, gritty fiction. Come find the deeper truth.
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Comments (4)
Beautifully written and relatable to all that celebrate the holidays! I think about this often, having dinners with our family and which one will be the last time we'll all meet together, or if it's the last time for certain members of the family. It's a sad thought at the end of the night. Amazingly written! Great work! [4 of 5]
Definitely hope it's not the last time. Loved your poem!
Bite your tongue, not the last time at all. We hope. Lovely poem.
Parents wake to the sounds of children cheering Christmas. Around the world as well as Missouri - Beautiful poem.