Twas a Good Christmas

There was the waking of teenagers
At 6:30 a.m.
And the shushed eager squeals
Of kids filled to the brim
With great expectations
For what was below
'Neath the round Christmas tree
With its lights all aglow.

And at last it was time
For the children to tumble
And rush down staircase
To open their bundles
Of colorful packages
All wrapped in red
And in green and in gold
In a Christmassy spread.

The parents smiled broadly
As three pairs of eyes
Widened and widened
With glee and surprise.
They paused for a moment
Before joyfully leaping
And into the gifts
The dove without speaking.

The wrapping was tossed
And the ribbons were torn
The box tops were ripped off
Quite quickly that morn
And with calls of delight
And excited embraces
Many thanks came out flowing
From those glowing faces

There were toys, there were clothes
A brand spankin' new game
And plenty of odd things
That can't really be named
There were presents from Santa,
From Dad and from Mom
From brother and sister
And one gift for the dog.

When the last of the wrapping
Had been thrown away
And every last gift
Had been opened that day,
We all gathered 'round
The prepared kitchen table
To eat Christmas breakfast
And thank God we were able.

And as we said grace
And I looked all around
At my family so dear
With their heads all bowed down,
I thought that a holiday
Named after someone
Should celebrate him
Not the holiday's fun
Or the presents or gifts
Or the food or the lights
Why it should be about
That very first Christmas night:

When a small little babe
With still wrinkled skin
All covered in straw
In a dark, chilly den
Was being watched by his mother
And her husband beside
Wiping tear-streaked cheeks
From when she had cried.
And that baby so small
Would be called the lamb
Of the king who held all
The world in his hands.

That must have been
The best Christmas of all
The one when Christ was
The one reason to call
To all a good night
Merry Christmas to all!