Granny’s Christmas Angel

In a back street in Chicago,

In a black community

There sits a little Christmas shop.

Lights flicker on the tree.

Everything is found there

That can make a Christmas great,

Like gifts, books, and decorations,

And it’s open until late.

One day a girl named Sally,

Who was barely eight years old,

Passed by this little Christmas store

And this story now unfolds.

Sally stopped outside the window

To admire the bright display,

When an angel on the Christmas tree

Caught the young girl’s gaze.

The angel was identical

To another she recalled

Upon her grandma’s Christmas tree,

When she was very small.

Sally didn’t have much money

But she went into the store

To admire the many festive things

She’d never seen before.

Tyrone helped his family

Setting up all the displays,

And choosing Christmas music

To make the season gay.

When the young girl entered

Tyrone was there alone.

He asked her if she needed help

As his mom was on the phone.

“My granny’s in an aged care home,

She’s really very ill,

But, the angel on her Christmas tree

Is what I remember still.”

“I’d like to buy that angel

For my granny for a dime

So that she could enjoy Christmas

Maybe, just this one more time.”

When Tyrone’s mom was off the phone

She came to serve the girl.

Sally asked to see the angel,

And from the tree, it was unfurled.

“This angel’s very special,

In fact, it is quite rare.

See the gold lace on her dress,

And tiara in her hair?”

“This angel costs $5.00

Why, how much have you got?”

Sally sadly hung her head,

“Just a dime, it’s not a lot.”

“I’m sorry dear, that’s not enough,

You need to try and save.

Maybe something cheaper?”

Was the best advice she gave.

“What about a shiny star

To place upon the tree,

A silver one that glitters,

As pretty as can be?”

“I really didn’t want a star.

The angel caught my eye,

But I guess I really have no choice,

If the star is just a dime.”

The star was wrapped, she took it home,

But the angel she desired.

She didn’t even unwrap it,

She just sat down and cried.

Meanwhile, Tyrone told his ma

About young Sally’s plan

To make this Christmas special

For her sick and ailing gran.

The next day Sally came again

To the little Christmas store.

She had a bit more money now

Than what she had before.

“I really didn’t want this star

Although it’s very bright.

So, I’m returning it to you,

For me, it wasn’t right.

I picked some flowers and sold them,

So a dollar I now have.

I still want to buy that angel

But more I have to save.

Tyrone’s mother smiled at him,

And he ran up to the tree.

He pulled the angel from the top

And wrapped it up with glee.

“My son told me your story,

You really are a dear.

Take it for your grandma,

Give her some Christmas cheer.”

Sally smiled and thanked them,

Then raced to see her gran.

She placed the angel on her tree.

It had fulfilled her plan.

Her granny was so happy,

It brought back memories,

But this was the last Christmas

That she would ever see.

A few weeks passed by, as they do,

Sally returned to the store.

She placed the angel on the bench,

“I bought this here before.”

“I’d just like to return it,

My granny passed away.

I thought perhaps you’d like it back

To sell again some day.”

“Thank you my dear, that’s thoughtful,

But the angel’s yours to keep.

She’ll remind you of your grandmother,

And the memories you seek.”

Sally’s now a regular

At the little Christmas store.

Her and Tyrone are best friends

And she goes there more and more.

by John Hansen © 2018

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John Hansen

Longtime poet but not in the traditional technical sense. I enjoy rhyme but like to experiment and dabble in many different forms and maybe even make up some of my own. There is always a message or lesson I want to promote through my writing, for that reason, my poetry generally shies away from the abstract and obscure.

After a lot of procrastinating I have finally self-published my first eBook of poetry "I Laughed a Smile" at Lulu.com.Now I find myself branching out and experimenting with short fiction.

I have also been fortunate to have two poems chosen to be made into songs and recorded. The first "On the Road to Kingdom Come" by Al Wordlaw, and the second, "If I Could Write a Love Poem" by award-winning Israeli/British singer Tally Koren.

I am also finding my services increasingly in demand as a freelance writer and I have ghost-written the text for a number of children's books and educational tutorials.

It has taken me many years of searching and restlessness to realise that my life's passion is to write. It saddens me that I wasted so many years not devoting to that, but thinking positively, the experiences gained over those years are now wonderful material for my stories and poems.

I want to try to bring a new focus on poetry and try to make it appealing to a new generation of young people and those who thought they never liked or understood it before.

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