Quarter til Twelve

It was the evening before Christmas, about a quarter til twelve
I was sitting alone on the couch;

Remembering our many blessings and enjoying

Our thoughtfully decorated house.

 

Grandmother had long retired for the night

And I’d have gone too, but I was enjoying the fireplace dying light

And the silence that one only finds late, late at night.

 

My stomach was still full from a great evening meal

And our company had gone home early because some of

The parents still had stockings to fill.

Suddenly I spied movement just below the wood box door

A tiny mouse squeezed under it, then jumped

Ever so quickly to the living room floor.

 

He sniffed the air, twitched his nose,

Then scampered past the hearth,

Practically running over my toes.

 

About the same time, quicker than an elf can wink

Another tiny mouse scampered from under the kitchen sink.

He sniffed the air and twitched his nose, ran across the tile floor,

Scampered under the dining table, took a sharp right ,  then

Stopped, right in front of the grandfather clock’s door.

Then, he just sat there quietly on that cool hardwood floor.

 

The other mouse soon joined him and together they sat silently,

Watching the hands move slowly and listening as the pendulum's swing

Created the clock’s soft tick, filling the still night air.

 

Then, as the Westminster chime began to strike twelve

Those two tiny mice could well have been elves.

For they stood on their hind paws, twirled in tiny circles

Dancing with joyful purpose, as if they were by themselves,

Sharing a joyful moment on that new Christmas Day.

 

 

As the last chime sounded, each mouse ran for the wood box door,

Disappeared under it and I’ve not see them any more.

 

The fire was nearly gone, except for a few smoldering embers

And I thought to myself, “Granddaddy, this is a night you must remember!”

Christmas is special and you cannot forget!

It’s not about giving or about the things that you get.

It’s about family, good memories and more

It’s about remembering when God opened Heaven’s door.

God’s true gift from Heaven for the world’s many parts,

Brought the Christmas spirit to dwell in men’s hearts.

 

So those two tiny mice, dancing with joyful purpose

 Reminded me again of a truth that’s so clear…..

That the joy of Christmas should last the whole year!

 

May Christmas bring you the gifts of  God’s Spirit

~ Joy, Peace and Hope & Love ~