Four Christmas Tales

Sugar Plum

Your father put on the Tschaikovsky and you began to dance and danced like a child and through the bells I wondered how many years would need to pass by before mercy was granted upon me and your smile would begin to lose its charm.



Holy Night

In the town on the mountain it was Wednesday and it wasn’t even Mass it was just regular Wednesday and the town was empty and it was December and the choir was practicing. The choir was boys and girls and grown woman and everybody sang together with their voices and their harmonies and they were nothing to write home about when any of these voices were on their own but when they were put all together these voices turned into something else and I heard them through the Church door and I opened the door and they were loud now. These voices all together on Wednesday at night it was snowing and they were loud and they all came together and they melted and the voices said fall on your knees, o’ hear the Angels’ voices and I heard them and I heard you and you weren’t even there and I heard you and I love you and I fell and I fell to my knees. You sang and you sang to me and I understood. I loved you and I understood and I knew that this all was possible and I knew that all of these voices made you possible and I said thank you and I said thank you and I said thank you and I understood that these voices were possible and I said thank you because these voices came down and made themselves into a baby and a baby in a stable surrounded by hay just laid there and he listened and he listened to you when he couldn’t even lift up his own head on his own.



English Roast

Across the pond our friends have all sorts of interesting ways to celebrate the season and make sure that those whom they love have a very Happy Christmas. Paper hats are often worn and roasts are sure to be set with the finest silverware. Back in the land of the free things are often done quite differently. Driving down the country roads and on the mountain road in general the blue house can look like Britain. Wet logs make for an English fire and this fire is sure to be the cause of coughs for your friends and your family and your loved ones. No amount of splitting wood can account for a seasoning and the unseasoned wood will be the cause of a smokey English air. When hosting in your house it is rightly considered poor etiquette to cause a cough and for this reason a dry American fire is quite superior. A good old fashioned red white and blue fire will keep the room warm for all of your friends and family and the ones that you love. Although we do not want to judge on how the mistletoe is hung it does seem that a Merry Christmas is simply much preferable.



Memories

The Mountain Beautification Committee strung up the lights around the poles on the main street. You said the lights bring back so many memories and she said yeah. They stuck the big candy canes in frozen ground. You said you know you’re like a sister to me and she said yeah and you said no seriously and she said I am serious. You’re like a sister to me too.


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Walt John Pearce lives in the mountains and is a member of The Downsville School.