The Other Christmas Story
Holidays without ribbons and bows
Young woman, two children, walk through the snow
Hold packages as they stride to their home.
Cold wind hits their cheeks with an icy blow
Hot cocoa awaits, they won’t be alone.
*
They pass an old man who’s been there for weeks.
His face is unshaven, his clothes are rags.
Blowing snow clings to his reddened cheeks.
He clutches a bottle in a brown bag.
*
“What’s wrong with him?” the boy quizzes his mom.
“Why doesn’t he go home?” the young girl adds.
Mom looks to the snow as they walk on.
“He has no one on Christmas, and that’s sad.”
*
The man drops the bottle and lets it go.
With eyes closed, the flask falls down to the snow.
About the Creator
Ted Lacksonen
With a history degree, a law degree - which included being an editor of his school's law review - a letter to the editor published in The Wall Street Journal, and a novel to his credit, Ted Lacksonen is no stranger to the written word.
Keep reading
More stories from Ted Lacksonen and writers in Poets and other communities.
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.