A Visit from St. Jude
(patron saint of lost causes)
‘Twas the day before Christmas (I work at the mall),
The shoppers were busy—-Time taking its toll.
The children were crawling, and wanted to sleep;
Their parents were busy—-Promises to keep:
For Susie a Barbie, for Johnny—G.I. Joe;
I watched wallets thin as profits grow.
Usually I’m busy stuck wrapping gifts;
I’ve been here since eight but went to bed at six.
I worked the late shift last night, you see—-
And now I sit here confused and groggy.
I’ve an hour and a half until my lunch break
It gets so busy—-how much more can I take?
At home I know I’ve got presents to wrap—-
They’re one of the reasons I could use a good nap.
I was up late last night--nervous and depressed.
Will sis like her book? Will mom like her dress?
With all this consumerism, it’s easy to miss
The joy we should get in this season of “bliss”
When children are greedy, and parents a mess,
Coworkers neurotic—-it’s like some horrid test
To see if we really can love all mankind
When peace and sanity begins to unwind.
Generally, I’m a cynic (couldn’t you tell?)
And so I find holidays nothing but hell.
Annoying relatives and unwanted gifts,
Twelve mile traffic jams—-It’s enough to make
One jump off a cliff!
The season of giving? Not really for most—-
And it’s all dedicated to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?
Now, some may mistake me for an atheist
But really, I’m agnostic—-the difference is this:
I don’t know if there’s a God or not.
Now, a babe in a stable? You’ll think me odd,
But I find it hard to believe that it’s God.
Still, I’m not a fool, but I can’t deny
The power of the season; I don’t know why
But it strikes at my heart with no good reason.
So maybe I’m a lost cause, and if that’s the case
Pray for me to St. Jude--maybe he can erase
This doubt from my mind. But if he cannot
Then take all the following with a grain of salt:
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Oy gevalt!