Christmas Card 2005

The
Melancholy December
of Lionel T. Lunt.


Lionel T. Lunt needed a something special
to brighten a certain once a year December day.

But he had not a thought,
not a hint or a spark or a seed
or an inkling of a idea.

He usually had ideas, many ideas
This time he needed to find just one.

He looked to jog a memory in a
box of curios, but the box only
held some long forgotten dust.

He paged through a album of photos,
but the faces there had all faded into ghosts.

Lionel went from avoiding
to meditating, ruminating,
endlessly debating.

He re-arranged his cabinets,
alphabetically.

He looked under the bed, but
dust bunnies do not answer questions.
(even under the most vigorous interrogation)

Lionel stared at his writing paper;
it stared back blankly.

He went to the store and
read every Hallmark card.
even the funny, but not too funny ones.

He made-up solitaire rules
for popular board games.

He tried to drink--which really
worked for Hemingway--
but it just made Lionel sleepy.

He drank some milk and ate sugar cookies.

He dreaded the reminding,
tock, tock, tock,
sound of the clock.

Lionel asked for help from a passing caroler.
She refused to stop singing until he finally brought
her a hot chocolate.

He watched reruns on the television,
mostly b&w sitcoms from the 50's.

He listened to talk radio.

He eavesdropped on several
indiscrete conversations between
a newly widowed woman and
his clergyman.

Sometimes, he would save his random thoughts
written on note paper and left in the pockets of his old suits.

All he found was a few balls of lint
saved in his pocket corners.

He searched every tradition and
seasonal song on the internet for just
the right sentiment.

But the single idea he had was that
to say something simply is usually the best.

So Lionel told everyone to
Have a Merry Christmas.

And so do I...Bill