General Poetry posted December 22, 2023


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A Christmas Poem

Beyond Belief

by Jessica Wheeler


This year, a little girl has grown,
Beyond believing what she's known,
For truth has pierced her silent doubt,
And magic's flame has flickered out.

This wonder fills their hearts each year
Each child aglow with yuletide cheer,
Yet tales of flying reindeer told,
Become mere tales as they get old.

The girl will leave her search behind,
In nights she'd scan the sky to find
A sleigh soar past a distant star,
Once wishful dreams now seem so far.

Yet, in the gloom of her dismay,
While chasing joy that's gone astray,
She's halted by a new concern,
In light of what she's come to learn.

She thinks not of her own distress,
But what it means for those with less,
And all the little girls and boys,
Who have no one to buy them toys.

This little girl, so bright and kind,
Awakened by these thoughts in mind,
Beyond a tale's protective shield,
A world of truth has been revealed.

The Christmas that she knew before,
Begins to mean a whole lot more,
Her spirit starts to rise anew,
A different path comes into view.

A shelter found begins her deed,
Her hands extend to those in need,
With bags of food and wrapped up gifts,
Her spirit soars with those she lifts.

Her gaze is shifted from the skies,
To where true Christmas meaning lies,
And joy, once lost, again is found,
Not in the stars but all around.

And from the shadow of belief,
A beam of light outshines her grief,
In others' joy, she finds her own,
This year, my little girl has grown.
 



Christmas Poetry contest entry

Recognized

#16
December
2023


This piece was inspired by my own experience with my daughter this year. She initiated the dreaded conversation just before her 10th birthday. Although she handled the news far better than I handled delivering it, she still lost a bit of that Christmas spark. She was heartbroken by the realization that not every child experiences the same thing on Christmas morning. Witnessing her shift to such a mature, empathetic understanding, filled me with pride. And her motivation to DO something about it, blew me away.
Pays one point and 2 member cents.


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