Poem: A Christmas dream

I dreamt that we had church in a place so bright like it was in heaven
The large site had gay decorations and teemed with a cheery gathering
Mum led a choir dressed as white-winged angels
Which sang of a great joy born to the whole earth
I looked around and saw folk of every possible variety
Even bible story farm folk with their bleating lambs in company
Horses neighed in one corner, bulls mooed in another
As old, young, white and colored worshipers chorused “Joy to the world!”

Dad came in dressed like Santa -
With a snow-white beard hanging like a thick cloud
And a belted tummy barely tucked in -
Pulling a trolley packed with boxes in shiny wrapping…
I looked on as dad put a box in each and everyone’s hand
He didn’t mind if they were good or bad people, I didn’t understand
It made me wonder what the Christmas celebration was all about
What joy was born to the world? I needed to find out!

So Dad tried to make it very simple because I was only six years old
He said God gave the baby Jesus as a gift to the world,
To be a great king and teacher who had his birthday every Christmas;
So God is telling us to love everybody and greet them “Merry Christmas”.
I woke up from my dream still seeing bright colors and smiling
A shiny wrapper rustled amidst my rumpled bedding
And I clutched a partly unwrapped box in my hand
As Dad and Mum boomed in my face “Merry Christmas, sleepy eyed man!”

© 2010, poem by Tee Akindele