by Pat Severin

From my vantage point,
I can see the whole family 
gathering around the tree.
The children are simply bursting 
with excitement! 
I have to laugh at the parents 
and relatives 
trying, unsuccessfully,
To rein them in, trying to
keep the yearly devouring 
Of bags and boxes civil.
Good luck with that!
What a puzzling process 
this is every year.
I‘ve heard something about
the season evoking a memory
of some ancient event,
one in which my presence 
Is somehow a part...but just what part,
I’ll never know.
There have been rumors.
I hear it from the trees every year.
They’re pretty chatty
After they’re brought into the house.
But this practice is as weird
as the creatures gathered here.
The little ones are my favorite, though.
They have a kind of exuberance that 
Emanates from them through 
this whole process, a joy,
That I must admit is contagious!
But I really wonder what this all about.
I’ve heard the little ones talking about
this old story of a creature named Mary 
And another called Joseph 
who had this very special baby.
Of course, the part of the story I love is 
about this equally special star.
Somehow this star played a very special role.
It shone in the sky like a beacon
guiding these men who were riding camels!
(Of all the odd modes of transportation!)
But they followed the star and that’s how 
they found this special baby.
And when they did, the star actually stopped!
A star that could do all that, imagine, it was...
Wait a minute!
I bet that’s why they put me 
on top of their tree! Ohhh!
Now I get it!
I must remind them of that other star.

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Pat Severin is a retired Christian school teacher who serves her Lord in many ways. These have included school, church and teen ministries and her current personal ministry of creating cards that include her original poems of encouragement. These she sends out weekly to those going through difficult life struggles.

In addition to her Christian poetry contributions to the Agape Review, she has been published in the Clay Jar Review, Thewayback2ourselves, and Pure in Heart Stories, which feature Christian poetry and stories for children. She has been published in many of the Southern Arizona Press Anthologies, in the book called I Chose You: Imperfectly Perfect Rescue Dogs and their Humans and will be featured in the upcoming book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Lessons I Learned from My Dog. Pat is a member of SCBWI, the Society of Children’s Book writers and Illustrators.