The Babe in the Manger

Posted in Personal

It must have been the deacon’s sermon at the 10 o’clock Mass on Christmas Eve. He made a statement about this being his 69th Christmas. I woke up on Christmas morning with a poem forming in my head. So, before everyone else got up on Christmas morning, I sat in the glow of the Christmas tree and wrote a poetic reflection of the Christmas periods of my life. Great poetry it ain’t. Stirring (for me) it was!

The Babe in the Manger

The babe in the apartment.
Exactly one month old.
Joy to the World.
Snow, toys, Santa.
Lionel 027,
In the basement,
Passenger trains,
Blue and Gold Santa Fe
Diesel.
Red tree stand.
Walking in snow.
Buying presents.
69th Street.
Altar boy.
Midnight Mass.
The drunk and the priest.
Christmas pageant
St. Joseph on stage.
Liz: Mary in blue.
Big porch lights:
Red, green, blue, orange.
Cookies.
Top of the steps.
Wrapping paper.
Stockings.
Boundless.
Joy to the World.
The Babe in the manger.

Kruschev, Oswald
Santa lost.
Cold.
Busy, busy.
Grandmom’s last noel.
Cookies.
Presents.
Trains.
Spaghetti and shrimp.
Mister Magoo.
Family.
Change.
School.
Future.
Unknown.
What child is this?
Mass.
The Babe in the manger.

Girlfriend.
Fiance.
Christmas Parties:
Who?
Weight:
Work,
Money,
School.
Dad’s last noel.
(What do you buy the dying?)
New old traditions.
Busy bother.
Responsibility.
Mass.
Decorations, trees, presents.
Deck the halls.
The Babe in the manger.

Wife.
House.
Babies.
Santa found.
Cookies and milk.
Saucer eyes.
Pictures.
Decorations, presents.
Toys, toys, toys.
Real tree.
Lights: colored.
Trains.
Martha:
Baking, bustling.
Countdown.
High school excitement.
Holiday assemblies.
Cards.
Old traditions.
Cinnamon buns.
Red and green.
Wrapping paper.
Last noels.
Grave spikes.
Mass.
Jingle Bells.
The Babe in the manger.

Shooting.
Heart attack.
Cancer.
Last noels.
Santa lost.
(Again.)
New old cookies.
Fading traditions.
Trains in plastic.
Disconnects.
Do we have to?
Distance.
Smack.
Real trees.
Toppled.
Colored lights in bushes.
Layoffs.
Distance.
Depression.
Chaos.
Stroke.
Grave spikes.
Mass.
Silent night.
The Babe in the manger.

Redemption.
Rediscovery.
Redefinition.
Relationships.
Resurrection.
Last noels
Grave spikes.
Old new traditions.
A Christmas Story.
It’s a Wonderful Life.
‘Tis the season.
Marriage.
Grandchild.
Spiderman.
Babies.
Santa found.
Leo the Dog.
St. Nicky Six
Wonder.
Mass.
Do you hear what I hear?

The Babe in the manger.

Unknown's avatar

Published by Ernie Quatrani

I taught in the Upper Perkiomen School District for thirty-nine years, where I was also heavily involved in co-curricular activities, including the school newspaper, TV studio, and baseball. After retirement I published a fictional novel about a school shooting in progress--Internal Lockdown.
 My work has been published or is forthcoming in The Main Line Times, The News of Delaware County, The Catholic Standard and Times, North Dakota Quarterly, r.kv.r.y., Apalachee Review, Green Hills Literary Lantern, and The Town and Country. I was married for 40 years and had three kids. My wife and oldest son died six months apart. I am now remarried to another widow.

Leave a comment