![\"apologies\"](\"http:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/apologies.png\")
The Christmas Poem<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nAnother Christmas is here – I’m surly and mad,<\/span> I opened a can. It was spaghetti with meat<\/span> I turned on the TV and it started hissing<\/span> I looked at her and said, \u201cAre you talking to me?”<\/em><\/span> She smiled and looked straight into my eyes –<\/span> I felt like a fool sticking my hand in the screen<\/span> I saw families gathered with smiles on their faces<\/span> There were smiles everywhere, I could feel all the love<\/span> Floating around with a lady in white,<\/span> \u201cDo you feel the love? Can you hear them all singing?\u201d<\/span><\/em> She smiled and took me to a place I don’t know…<\/span> He was dour and wrinkled, a pathetic old man<\/span> \u201cNow you have seen what the future will be\u201d<\/span><\/em> I got up and showered, and put on some new clothes<\/span> I went to my neighbors and shouted “Come over and dine!<\/em><\/span> That evening we gathered for a big Christmas feast<\/span> So perhaps we should think… lest we end up alone<\/span> <\/p>\n Merry Christmas and all the best in the new year!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Christmas Poem Another Christmas is here – I’m surly and mad, And feeling quite grouchy and really quite sad. There is no sign of Christmas, not one I can see. No holly, no wreaths, and not one Christmas tree. I opened a can. It was spaghetti with meat No, it was not really a\u2026 Read More »<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14105,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1741,2273],"tags":[4323],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22711"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22711"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22711\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22715,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22711\/revisions\/22715"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nAnd feeling quite grouchy and really quite sad.<\/span>
\nThere is no sign of Christmas, not one I can see.<\/span>
\nNo holly, no wreaths, and not one Christmas tree.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nNo, it was not really a good holiday treat<\/span>
\nBut I ate it, I tell you, as I sat sad and alone…<\/span>
\nEating a can of spaghetti… reaping what I had sown.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nA voice said to me \u201cDo you know what you\u2019re missing?\u201d<\/em><\/span>
\nIn a white robe, she appeared on my screen<\/span>
\nAnd said, \u201cYou are old and pathetic and really quite mean!\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
\nSurely you\u2019re not, for plainly you see,<\/span>
\nI am eating spaghetti straight out of a can<\/span>
\nI have every convenience. I’ve done well as a man\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\n“Grab hold of my hand, I have quite a surprise!”<\/span><\/em>
\n\u201cYou’re surely kidding, you\u2019re inside my TV!\u201d<\/span><\/em>
\nShe said, \u201cDo what I say and you will soon see.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
\nBut I did it and saw something I\u2019d never seen.<\/span>
\nI was floating around with a lady in white<\/span>
\nLooking down on a village on a cold Christmas night.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nDancing by fires in quaint brick fireplaces.<\/span>
\nPresents were scattered all over those houses<\/span>
\nDads with new sweaters and moms with new blouses.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nChurch bells were ringing! Snow fell from above!<\/span>
\nThe ground sparkled in white, the snow was aglisten<\/span>
\nThe lady in white said “Shhhhh! Be quiet and listen!\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
\nAbove a small village on a cold Christmas night<\/span>
\nI heard people singing, I could feel all the joy!<\/span>
\nI felt so much younger — like a young schoolboy.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nThe snow kept on falling; the church bells kept ringing.<\/span>
\n“I do”<\/em> I answered as we flew over the town.<\/span>
\nI saw nothing but smiles – not one single frown.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nIt was a place far away, a place far below.<\/span>
\nI saw an old man alone and confused,<\/span>
\nHe did not look happy, no… not one bit amused!<\/span><\/p>\n
\nEating spaghetti with meat right out of a can!<\/span>
\nThe lady in white said, \u201cTell me what do you see?\u201d<\/em><\/span>
\n\u201cI see my own future. That old man is me!\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n
\n“Yes! If I don’t change, that’s what I will be!<\/span><\/em>
\nShe took me back home and I floated no more…<\/span>
\nI must have been dreaming right there on the floor!<\/span><\/p>\n
\nI opened my door and felt the snow fall on my nose!<\/span>
\nI walked down the street and with a smile on my face<\/span>
\n\u201cMerry Christmas\u201d<\/em> I shouted… to everyone, everyplace!<\/span><\/p>\n
\nI have turkey and pie and some really nice wine.”<\/span><\/em>
\nI called up my children \u2013 \u201cCome see your old dad!\u201d<\/em><\/span>
\nI could tell by their voices they were really quite glad.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nThe bread was amazing, it was homemade at least.<\/span>
\nThe turkey was juicy and the pie was supreme –<\/span>
\nMy family together; Oh, it seemed like a dream!<\/span><\/p>\n
\nEating food from a can in the dark, all alone…<\/span>
\nIt’s never too late to make everything right<\/span>
\nAnd what better time is there\u2026 than on this\u00a0Christmas night?<\/span><\/p>\n
\n![\"Cloudeight](\"http:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2018\/christmasbears.png\")
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