I looked out on Christmas morning
A lone kangaroo chewed grass in my front yard
Looking nonchalantly about
Not a care in the world.
In my room my Christmas stocking was still empty,
Yet again the man in red had bypassed me
Left me to wonder at the meaning of Christmas
When even a simple card was too much to expect.
So I wandered out into my living room
A room in which only living occurred
Never joy as that would be too much to expect
The left over scraps of dinner last night staring at me.
Another Christmas day, another day, same shit
Once they came to visit, sat around drank tea
But now they don’t, now it is just me
I have forgone my friends for this solitude.
Never bothers me most of the time
But today I do feel it, the house empty
My heart needing some connection with the outside
Anything to break this overriding silence.
I long to hear a knock on my door
A neighbour wanting to borrow sugar
A past friend with a bottle to share
My heart leaps at the sound of a car door.
But I settle when I know it’s not for me
My neighbours are popular folk,
Comings and goings at all hours
My front gate rusts from inactivity.
My lunch, I treat myself to a ham sandwich
Good ham not that thin sliced crap
Fresh bread, butter, a smear of mustard
A meal fit for a king on Christmas day.
As I settle down for an afternoon nap
My front gate squeaks its usual unwelcome….
Could it be…?
I wrote this thinking about Rarasuar’s blog calling for people to support the C4C cause – Company for Christmas.
http://rarasaur.wordpress.com/2013/12/21/come-on-baby-spend-christmas-with-me/
No it is not about me and yes the ham sandwich I have mentioned before, but this Christmas I will have two of my sons with me sharing our ham sandwich!!
Morpethroad 
Beautiful! I love the picture, too. 🙂 Thank you for the shout out for C4C!! 😀
My pleasure, have a good one. I hope all goes well.
Merry Christmas.
Michael
Michael, I do think Christmas sometimes can be very lonely. We build up a lot of expectations for the day, and I would guess that there are a lot of people for whom it is just another day….and even sadder so because it is CHRISTMAS and people expect certain things from the day.
Wishing you a Happy Holiday, Michael! Know that some of us out in the blogosphere CARE.
Thanks Mary, I find it sad to think there are people out there who have no one at Christmas, and I do know they are there. Thanks for you best wishes, and yes I know there are those who care, my kids will be with me tomorrow and that is great as far as I’, concerned.
My best wishes to you as well.
Did you get to finish my Story 4?
I know that some people hate Christmas as it makes them more acutely aware of their loneliness. I suppose being in your own when you know so many people are with relatives or fiends can be awful. Your poem expresses this very well.
I am glad your sons will be celebrating with you.
Thanks Gabriella, yes its going to be a lovely day. Always is.
A great contribution of awareness.
This time of the year can be a bit rough for some.
Merry Christmas to you & your loved ones.
Enjoy your ham sammich 😉
Oh we are looking forward to it. Got the good stuff too!!!!
We get to celebrate first, so if Christmas is crap I’ll let you know save you the trouble…lol
but I know you’ll be having a good one, I am sure Ashley has all plans in place.
Oh Michael – You crack me up! 🙂
It’s Christmas RoSy, I’m allowed to.
You’ve really captured the loneliness on the page, Michael, particularly the image of the front gate rusting from inactivity – very poignant. Have a wonderful Christmas with your sons.
Thanks Karen we intend to.
And a Merry Christmas to you as well.
Lovely we have some cool weather at last.
do you want pickles with that? Enjoy your Christmas my good friend. You wrote well and I am ever so grateful for your support and encouragement since we met. So from one Aussie to another…. I send my hugs up the Hume 🙂
Thank Jenny, but I am but a poor pensioner now, pickles is a luxury I am afraid. As it is the bread is stale by now but we wont complain for we are but humble folk.
“Please Sir a little more Sir?”…. 😉
Only if you ask nicely.
I hope the noise he heard was a Christmas visitor for him!! 🙂 🙂
Well we hope so. Thank you.
Oh dear brought to tears.That described many lonely people Jve known…sad. Great poem..so real.
Thank you Oliana I appreciate your comments, sadly there are people in this position.
My dad was often alone before we lerned where he was and I worked in homecare…growing is not always easy. I am blessed with children, family and friends.No , I’m rich.
We are lucky aren’t we to have them around us, and that they like us…lol
I cared for my dad in the years before his death, otherwise he would have been alone too.
I am glad I did what I did.
Yes we are fortunte. Ironically I moved to the city where my father lived and I too took care of him the last 2 years of his life. I am glad I did. No one should end their life alone.
I totally agree and I am glad that I was able to be with my father on the day he died.
Oh dear brought to tears.That described many lonely people I have known…sad. Great poem..so real.
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