Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Creatures were still stirring, even the mouse
well, mouse toys that our cat hits around the floor
and usually gets stuck behind the door

I nestled snug into my running clothes
Bundling up against the dark and cold woes
The temperature was plummeting and the wind increasing
The pain of wind chill was to be unceasing.

Out on the lawn there was no clatter
No animals or humans to wonder, 'what's the matter?'
See, not every Christmas is a cute, decorated, cocoa mug
Not always a blanket and a pair of slippers on the rug

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
The clouds receding and stars twinkling, I know
that my wandering eyes would likely see not
but a passerby rodent, stunned from being caught

A little old vehicle, sleek and slick
Drove by on the highway quick
Of course, it was not to be Santa Claus
but rather likely a family desperate for a pause

My running shoes scrunched in the snow,
leaving 10.5-sized prints on the shoulder below
I went out to explore new places, you see
To go enjoy my own time in a night of glee

As the miles clicked by, I started to look
into every house, every cranny- every nook
I saw houses full of warmth and happiness
Gathered families taking a break from weariness

Their driveways full of vehicles of every size and make
Their kitchens full of every goody, snack, sausage, and steak
Their trees aglow through large window bright
And young kids opening presents with all their might

The Christmas so many know and love resides here
with an abundance of pleasantries and cheer
Immortalized in books, movies, plays, and minds,
Christmas symbolizes perfection for humans of every kind

They will not see me running in the dark,
even with my shining headlamp, leaving my mark
on every vehicle that passes by me,
Sometimes refusing to move over, sometimes causing me to flee.

Now enter I into the snow-covered Minnesota town
Where even on Christmas Eve the many lights and noises are not down
The bustling of any normal day passes
And left are stragglers living outside the masses

A hotel with vehicles in the parking lot,
A McDonalds with staff but customers not,
A main street with cars and trucks abounding,
A sheriff drives past, sirens this time not sounding

For many, Christmas doesn't have the glamour
The fritz, the glitz, the feats of grandeur
The bells ringing is really their clocking-in
And the present-opening is really emptying the garbage bin.

For others, Christmas is a time to mourn
the loss of family members, not about Christ being born.
What joy can there be in an empty chair?
When all in the room wish to feel their presence there?

And what of the cast-outs and misfits?
They will have nowhere to go, no matter the make-ups and grit
They will not be spending the night with family
They don't get to indulge in the old-time remedy

The homeless will continue to be homeless
The overworked continuing to be overworked.
The hospitalized will still be in the hospital,
And the jailed will still be in jail.

House after house I run past on the street
Screening windows, hoping to come across and meet
A house that looks like Christmas that we all know
But so many houses are dark and without glow

Empty, empty, empty, dark and cold
The houses seem to mostly be abandoned, not bold
Only the occassional residence permeates Christmas love
As obvious as funerals that release a box full of doves

With a mile to go, a country house caught my eye
It had light, bright, marvel, and a wink to the starry sky
There were people to fill, presents under a tall tree
and a warmth that had me wishing the same for me

And yet

I couldn't shake this darker feeling inside of me
Not anything bad for this family,
but rather a new understanding of this day
And a new list of names for which I pray

For all those who suffer this night, I pray
For all those who work this night, I pray
For all those who have nowhere to go this night, I pray
For all those with no hope this night, I pray

That you can be visible in a world that doesn't see you.