Wednesday, December 24, 2008

The Lost Christmas Eve

In recognizing this cherished day by many, I hope all of you are happy and safe this Christmas Eve. In the spirit of the season, I leave with you a poem, The narration from the song The Lost Christmas Eve, from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I hope you enjoy it.

THE LOST CHRISTMAS EVE
ANOTHER YEAR HAS COME AND PAST
LIKE MOMENTS THROUGH AN HOURGLASS
AND AT THE END OF THIS YEAR’S TRAIL
AN OFFERING, A FINAL TALE

OF LOVE, LONG LOST
AND THEN REFOUND
AND THE CHILD BY WHICH
THOSE DREAMS WERE BOUND

OF A DUSTY HOTEL
THAT WAS LONG PAST OLD
AND THE SHADOWS AND THE MEMORIES
ITS HALLWAYS STILL HOLD

FOR THINGS THAT ARE OLD
HAVE THE BEST TALES TO TELL
AND USUALLY,
THEY TELL THEM WELL

AND SO IT’S HERE, MY DEAR CHILDREN
THAT OUR STORY TRULY STARTS
WHEN THE LORD SENT ONCE MORE TO THE EARTH
AN ANGEL, WITH A CHILDLIKE HEART

AND ON THIS NIGHT HIS MISSION WAS
TO FIND SOMEWHERE ON THIS EARTH
THAT HUMAN THAT BEST REFLECTED HIS SON
AND CARRIED ON HIS WORK

AND SINCE THIS MISSION FROM HIS LORD
HAD TO BE COMPLETED ON THIS ONE NIGHT
THE ANGEL QUICKLY UNFOLDED HIS WINGS
AND TOWARDS THE EARTH TOOK FLIGHT

AND THIS NIGHT, IN CASE YOU HAVE NOT GUESSED
WAS ONCE MORE CHRISTMAS EVE
WHEN SNOW AND LIGHT AND ANGELS’ FLIGHTS
ALL TOGETHER WEAVE

BUT OF THE ANGEL’S INSTRUCTIONS
THERE WAS ONE THING MORE
THAT WOULD MAKE THIS JOURNEY TO THE EARTH
HARDER THAN ALL THE ONES BEFORE

FOR THE LORD HAD ALSO TOLD THE ANGEL
THAT HE COULD ONLY USE HIS WINGS TWICE THIS CHRISTMAS EVE
ONCE WHEN HE DESCENDED TO THE EARTH
AND ONCE MORE WHEN HE WOULD LEAVE
(NOT UNLIKE OURSELVES SOME THINK,OR AT LEAST SO I BELIEVE)

NOW THIS PUT QUITE A COMPLICATION
IN WHAT THE ANGEL PLANNED
FOR NOW HE HAD TO CHOOSE MOST CAREFULLY
EXACTLY WHERE HE WOULD LAND

HE NEEDED TO FIND A SINGLE PLACE
THAT WOULD REPRESENT ALL MANKIND
BUT HUMANS WERE SUCH A VARIED LOT
SUCH A PLACE WOULD SURELY BE HARD TO FIND

A SINGLE PLACE WHERE THERE WOULD BE
HUMANS OF EVERY RACE AND CREED
THE RICH AND POOR, THE THRILLED AND BORED
THE FAILURES WITH THOSE WHO SUCCEED

BUT AFTER A FEW MOMENTS
CAREFULLY PLACED IN THOUGHT
THE ANSWER APPEARED IN THE ANGEL’S MINDT
HE CITY CALLED NEW YORK

AND AS HE NEARED THAT CITY
WHERE ALL THOSE SOULS DID DWELL
HE FELT HIMSELF BEING DRAWN TOWARDS
AN OLD, RUNDOWN HOTEL

FOR IN A CITY THAT USUALLY HAD
GUARDS AT NEARLY EVERY SINGLE DOOR
THIS ONE JUST HAD A SIGN THAT SAID “VACANCIES,
THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE MORE”

NOW WHY THE ANGEL DECIDED TO STOP THERE
HE COULD NOT QUITE SAY THE REASON
BUT HE THOUGHT THE SIGN UPON THAT HOTEL
SOMEHOW FIT THE SENTIMENT OF THIS SEASON

NOW EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
THE BUILDING WAS STILL A WORK OF ART
AND THOUGH SOME FAƇADE HAD CRUMBLED HERE AND THERE
MOST STILL HAD THEIR PARTS

THE WALLS WERE MADE OF GRANITE
NOT ALUMINUM OR STEEL
AND EVERY PILLAR AND BALLISTRADE
STILL HAD ITS ARTIST’S FEEL

EVERY GUTTER HAD A GARGOYLE
EVERY GARGOYLE HAD ITS WINGS
FOR ANGELS CAN APPRECIATE
OTHER FLYING THINGS

SO HE LANDED ON A CATHEDRAL ROOF
ACROSS THE STREET FROM THAT HOTEL
AND LOOKED DOWN UPON THE WORLD BELOW
WHERE ALL THOSE SOULS DID DWELL

AND SITTING ON THAT ROOFTOP
WITH HIS FRIEND THE WINTER WIND
HE GAZED CAREFULLY AT THAT SCENE BELOW
AS HE SLOWLY TOOK IT IN

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