Boxing Day

Hear the poem read by the author

‘Twas the day after Christmas
And in the little church
All the bats in the belfry
Were asleep on their perch.

Christmas Eve service had ended
Thirty hours before
But the ashes from the fire
Still dusted the floor.

Jose the janitor
Was on a vacation.
A perk from the church to show
Its appreciation

His rest and relaxation
Would have gone quite off track
If he knew the mess that awaited
Him when he got back.

Kevin Boyer was giving
His wife Jill a massage
And later that day planned to
Organize their garage.

It was penance for allowing
Their four-year-old, Mary,
To play with toys during church
And not staying wary.

And little Mary was grounded
Upstairs in her room,
With only twenty new presents
To lighten her gloom.

Poor Mary pouted and felt
Quite misunderstood.
Since it was her toy car with
The dent in the hood.

Pastor O’Donnell was home
Putting ice on his knee
Which was bruised and swollen
To an alarming degree

He twisted it badly while
Lighting a candle aglow
And tripped when a small car crashed
Straight into his toe.

Henrietta Miggins was
Writing a letter
Demanding the little church
Pay for her sweater.

Who would have guessed when she
Wore it that night
A flying candle would
Set it alight.

She added a paragraph of
Advice for the pastor
Suggesting some rules to avert
A future disaster.

The most important, she said,
Was perfectly clear
Toys should be banned from Christmas
Eve service next year.

Happy Boxing Day!