A Magical Sound
“There is no Santa”
I knew he was wrong.
On Christmas Eve,
I was listening,
Listening for a sound:
The ringing bells of Santa’s sleigh.
Silver sleigh bells,
A magical sound.
I breathed slowly and silently.
Sounds!
Not of ringing bells…
Hissing steam and squeaking metal.
Perfectly still, wrapped in steam:
A train,
Standing in front of my house,
Snowflakes fell lightly.
Slippers, robe, I tiptoed downstairs,
And out the door…
I knew he was wrong.
On Christmas Eve,
I was listening,
Listening for a sound:
The ringing bells of Santa’s sleigh.
Silver sleigh bells,
A magical sound.
I breathed slowly and silently.
Sounds!
Not of ringing bells…
Hissing steam and squeaking metal.
Perfectly still, wrapped in steam:
A train,
Standing in front of my house,
Snowflakes fell lightly.
Slippers, robe, I tiptoed downstairs,
And out the door…
“All Aboard!” the conductor cried,
“Where?” I asked,
“Why to the North Pole of course,”
He pulled me aboard the Polar Express.
We travelled through cold,
Through the quiet wilderness,
We climbed mountains,
Faster and faster
We crossed the Polar Ice Cap.
Lights in the distance.
The North Pole,
“Where?” I asked,
“Why to the North Pole of course,”
He pulled me aboard the Polar Express.
We travelled through cold,
Through the quiet wilderness,
We climbed mountains,
Faster and faster
We crossed the Polar Ice Cap.
Lights in the distance.
The North Pole,
A huge city at the top of the world.
Santa will give the first gift of Christmas,
“He will choose one of you.”
Silver sleigh bells,
A magical sound.
Santa Claus appeared,
He marched over to us,
“Let’s have this fellow here.”
I sat on Santa’s knee,
“Now what would you like for Christmas?”
When I asked, Santa smiled.
A silver sleigh bell,
The first gift of Christmas.
We were back inside the Polar Express,
I reached in my pocket,
I had last the silver bell.
We were on our way home.
Santa will give the first gift of Christmas,
“He will choose one of you.”
Silver sleigh bells,
A magical sound.
Santa Claus appeared,
He marched over to us,
“Let’s have this fellow here.”
I sat on Santa’s knee,
“Now what would you like for Christmas?”
When I asked, Santa smiled.
A silver sleigh bell,
The first gift of Christmas.
We were back inside the Polar Express,
I reached in my pocket,
I had last the silver bell.
We were on our way home.
It broke my heart to lose the bell.
The train reached my house,
I waved good-bye.
Christmas morning,
One last small box,
Inside was the silver bell!
I shook the bell,
The most beautiful sound.
“It’s broken,” said father,
“That’s too bad,” said mother.
My parents had not heard a sound.
It fell silent as the years passed.
I’ve grown old.
The bell still rings.
It does for all,
Who truly believe.
The train reached my house,
I waved good-bye.
Christmas morning,
One last small box,
Inside was the silver bell!
I shook the bell,
The most beautiful sound.
“It’s broken,” said father,
“That’s too bad,” said mother.
My parents had not heard a sound.
It fell silent as the years passed.
I’ve grown old.
The bell still rings.
It does for all,
Who truly believe.
What a fantastic book! I love the child-like fun and the imagination of this story and you did a great job bringing that into the poem.
ReplyDeleteI like the poem, i think you did a really good job at taking excerpts from the book and making it a poem. Very impressed with how you ran it all together too.
ReplyDeleteIt made me want to read the book again. The final stanza is especially powerful.
ReplyDeleteNicolette, I'm glad you chose to compose such a beautiful poem about such a magical book. I agree with David; the last stanza is so compelling. I like the contrast in presenting an elderly person who has retained a childlike belief. Did the person hold on to the belief, or did the belief allow the person to hold on to youth? What keeps a person young, after all? Very thought-provoking. Thank you.
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