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It’s a Wonderful Life

The forecast promised luscious, gleaming snow;
Instead the sky pours bitter, freezing rain.
The lights are strung but half of them won’t glow.
Our tree sags like the one in Charlie Brown.
We watch the news. It’s sad and full of strain.
I force a festive smile but I feel down.

It’s more than just the news and ugly storm.
It’s memories and grief that sear and scar.
I know we’re blest. The yule log keeps us warm.
We have our health, good food, some Christmas cheer.
But nowhere can I see the Holy Star
Which hides behind the clouds. Perhaps next year.

We watch old Christmas movies on T.V.
The kindly man who thinks he’s Santa Claus;
The Grinch, the Reindeer; and of course, Bing Crosby.
We come at last to Scrooge, who’s lost his way,
But gets restored to grace. Once his heart thaws
He vows to honor Christmas every day!

He’s right! We hail our ghosts of Christmas Past,
Those loved ones who we thought were gone forever.
Such bliss we feel when they arrive at last!
We laugh and toast and now the evening’s bright
Communing with the spirits—now and ever—
As all join in the hymn O, Holy Night.

It is indeed a most wonderful life
Of joy and miracles! My spirit swells
For faith and hope and love have banished strife.
A choir in the distance sweetly sings.
It’s midnight—I can hear our church’s bells.
Rejoice! Another angel’s got his wings!

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Brian Yapko is a lawyer who also writes poetry. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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17 Responses

  1. Margaret Coats

    Blessed Christmas, Brian! Your poem is a fine reminder that the holy star (the sign of Christ Himself) is what’s missing when Christmas or life doesn’t seem right. You have some very interesting rhyme effects here with the abacbc scheme. In the first stanza readers expecting abab instead find abaBrown, and even though “strain” follows “rain” for the b rhyme, the pattern (like the sad words) carries the thought “down.” In the second stanza, we find the missing Holy Star rhyming with “scar.” In the third stanza, “T.V.” and “Crosby” rhyme so imperfectly I thought you were abandoning rhyme, but the converted Scrooge finds the way to save the day! After that masterful turn, the rhymes like the poem become merry and bright. You may have been inspired by the movie, but your own work is most effectively Christmassy.

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      And a Merry, Blessed Christmas to you, Margaret! Thank you for your comments. I struggled with that T.V./Crosby rhyme quite a bit and never found a better pairing for my invocation of Christmas entertainments. And not only is the rhyme imperfect, but the Crosby line has an extra syllable! I would rarely submit something with such a rough patch but… this was one of those times when I decided that I should accept my flaws (here and elsewhere!) and leave perfection to God.

      Reply
  2. Jeff Eardley

    Brian, this amazing movie is just finishing over here on, “Auld Lang Syne” as I type this. Your super poem takes us on a journey from tree-sagging depression to strife-banishing optimism. I remember you being a fan of all things Cockney. The 1970 musical, “Scrooge” starring Albert Finney features the best knees up to the song, “Thank you very much.”
    Cor blimey guv, get your laughing gear round that.
    Once again, have a great day tomorrow.

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      It’s a Wonderful Life always makes my tears flow without fail no matter how many times I’ve seen it. A very slow dramatic build-up but the investment is so worth it. I’ve seen Scrooge! It’s a very fun movie and Albert Finney is a favorite actor of mine. Shabba ranks, china plate! And a Merry Christmas to you!

      Reply
  3. Patricia Redfern

    Brian,
    This movie is one that makes me cry. I love Harry’s angel. The last scene when people pull together , moves me. Christ has become a lesser figure each year since I grew up in Illinois with mangers, angels and the Holy Family. The new Unholy Family are those toads in the White House currently. I see them as modern day Nazis.
    ..their calling card is fear snd repression. I cannot feel “Merry” this year, Biden blames a fictional Santa for late presents?? He must think we are idiotic morons.
    Your poem was so wonderfully composed
    Best wishes!

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Thank you, Patricia. I surely understand not feeling “merry” this year! That’s why this poem has some personal resonance for me! May your Christmas at least be blessed!

      Reply
  4. Paul Freeman

    Thanks for a spirit uplifting poem, Brian.

    In my house ‘Jingle All the Way’ is the yuletide favourite film (much underrated), which we’ve just finished – next we’ll vote on ‘Elf’, ‘The Grinch’ and ‘Home Alone (turned out to be ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’).

    Strangely, in reference to Jeff’s post, when I went to buy a turkey at the supermarket today, one of the chain’s head honchos was there – a Cockney – doing a stint of staff training. When he tried a bit of patter on me in order to flog off the prize turkey, I told him it was already reserved for Tiny Tim. For some reason this almost caused him to choke with laughter.

    Anyway.

    From me it’s a ho, ho, and ho!
    Those humbugs are really no go.
    The merriest Christmas,
    sans heart burn or gas
    and a New Year with joy and no woe.

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      What a great story, Paul! I’ve actually never seen “Elf” or “Jingle All the Way” but may watch the latter later today with some guests. And hey, thank you for the charming Christmas poem! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

      Reply
  5. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Brian, I love this poem and the vision of Christmas through films – the closing line is a triumph! I especially like: “But nowhere can I see the Holy Star/
    Which hides behind the clouds…”. This line taps into my feelings. There are many people celebrating Christmas with eyes that are focused on a red-nosed reindeer instead of the Savior in the manger. Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a bright and beautiful New Year!

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Thank you, Susan! Another difficult Christmas but it’s a great comfort to me to know that even though that Holy Star is not easily seen, it’s still there! A Merry and blessed Christmas and Happy New Year to you and Mike.

      Reply
  6. Mike Bryant

    Merry Christmas Brian. Now I have to watch all those old movies! I do love black and white, though.
    Your poem reminds me of the way Christmas used to be.
    Beautiful.

    Reply
  7. C.B. Anderson

    Your abacbc stanzas are perhaps my favorite scheme. As Margaret notes, the form does carry “the thought ‘down.'” But do you realize that this pattern can be extended to any even number of lines, e.g., abacbdcede. If you make it fourteen lines you have your “Andersonian” sonnet. In longer pieces, the separation of the rhymes creates an effect that can feel like blank verse.

    And, indeed, tomorrow when I shall be with my children and my grandchildren, there is some hope that the pall that hovers over Christmas this year will finally lift. Christians are expected, nay, required to have hope.

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Thank you, C.B. It’s an interesting scheme to me — quite fixed and yet a bit unexpected. I shall have to give an Andersonian Sonnet a try. And, yes, hope is both a wonderful and essential thing to those of us who believe. A very merry Christmas to you and to yours!

      Reply
      • C.B. Anderson

        At least one of that type of sonnet can be found in the SCP archives.

  8. Sandi Christie

    Thank you for the Christmas nostalgia and for sharing your poetry all year long. Merry Christmas!

    Reply

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