THE ELLORY JOURNAL

A CHRISTMAS POEM...

I simply am a simple man,
I have no faith, no master plan,
I take offence at none at all,
save those who try to say we'll fall,
if we believe in other stuff,
the stuff they think is just enough,
to keep them straight and right and true,
like God and Christ and Allah too,
and sometimes I just wonder why
they can't accept that people try,
to get along with black and white,
without concern for what is 'right',
for I believe there is no truth,
save that which you deduce in youth,
and watch evolve as years pass by,
the wisdom you attain with time,
and patience comes, and tolerance too,
forgiveness, kindness, through and through,
and how you learn to make ends meet,
to stand your kids on their own feet,
and grant your friends importance too,
their thoughts, their needs, their points of view,
and taking charge in times of stress,
and giving more and taking less,
and when it comes to Christmas time,
with laughter, cheer and lots of wine,
accept then too that people need,
Ramadan, Hannakah, Easter, Eid,
to show their faith, to say their prayers,
to help them ease their weight of cares,
and give it all its due concern,
not things dismissed, but things to learn,
for surely all of us should know,
acceptance is the way to go,
that people differ, east to west,
and one man's faith is not the best,
they all mean something, they all make sense,
they all can stand their own defence,
for somehow, somewhere, in some small way,
they help us meet another day,
they aid, confirm, protect, support,
they banish fears, unwanted thoughts,
remind us that we're human too,
that people win, and people lose,
and still we battle on, survive,
and try our best for better lives,
and hope for peace, a peace for all,
an end to pain, an end to war,
so at such times we celebrate,
not in the faith, the name, the date,
but in the company of men,
and recognize that now and then,
we all need time to pause, reflect,
to ask ourselves if we suspect,
that we can be a better friend,
a kinder, gentler heart to lend,
in times of pain, in times of woe,
to those who have no place to go,
in place of faith, instead of prayer,
a simple wish to heed and care,
for all mankind, both friends and foes,
both strangers and the ones we know,
and at this time, as gifts exchange,
we see that there is nothing strange,
tradition, custom, folklore too,
it matters little which you view,
they're all the same, they bear no blame,
they all possess a common aim,
to slow man down, to make him think,
to make him see a common link,
to make him see the simple truth,
that children, infants, those of youth,
have no division, no design,
they do not see these coloured lines,
they simply see another friend,
a start, a middle, and an end,
another way to fill their life,
with laughter, kindness, free from strife,
and so I think on Christmas Day,
as presents wend their merry way,
from mom to dad, from dad to son,
as games are played with endless fun,
we should recall that we'd be sunk,
without a reason to get drunk!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, and a truly happy and successful 2011!
Best, always,
Roger.