Where’s Christmas?

by Gordon Klopfenstein

You’re supposed to feel happy at Christmas.
You’re supposed to be merry, they say.
You’re supposed to feel loved and be loving
But he sure didn’t feel that way.

Last night he fought with his brother.
And he forgot and kicked the wall.
He got yelled at by his mother
Because he left on the light in the hall.

His father had spoken quite sternly
About showing off for the guests.
His sister had said he was selfish.
His brother had called him a pest.

He wanted to watch Bugs Bunny
But his father was watching the news.
He didn’t see how they could stand it.
It always gave him the blues.

There were people starving in Asia.
There were kids in the slums with no toys.
So he went out to see what was happening
And he got in a fight with the boys.

He bought a new pack of football cards
And sorted them out in a box.
But his mother said, “Do something useful
Like pick up your pants and your socks.”

He thought, “Now tomorrow is Christmas.
I’m supposed to be happy, they say.
I’m supposed to feel loved and be loving
But I sure don’t feel that way.”

What do you do to feel happy?
He could be happy, he knew it
If he could think what it was he’s forgotten
And just get busy and do it.

He had to learn to be perfect
And make everyone happy with him.
He really wanted to do it
But he knew his chances were slim.

He’d experiment with cabbage and tulips
And discover a high protein plant
To feed all those people in Asia
And then to the slums he would grant

Three-quarters of all of his profits
To stop all the crime and the noise
And to clean up the trash in the alleys
And to buy all those slum kids some toys.

Then he would surely be happy.
That’s how he’d find Christmas cheer.
But his sister said, “Boy, you’re a dummy.
You can’t leave that cabbage in here.”

It was their fault he couldn’t find Christmas.
That was as plain as could be.
They probably wouldn’t even buy him
That bike he had seen on TV.

“Well, I never can find Christmas here,”
He thought as he walked out the door.
And he stepped on a piece of his Star Wars set
That he had left on the floor.

He said he was looking for Christmas.
His father called it a whim.
His brother said, “I knew it.
There’s something the matter with him.”

He went down the street to a Walmart.
He looked at the toys and the clothes.
He thought, “Now I could really find Christmas
If I could just have some of those.”

He suddenly knew he was hungry.
He then knew where Christmas was.
It had to be over at Grandma’s
With all of that stuff that she does.

He remembered when he was just little
Going there for a big Christmas dinner.
He had felt that he couldn’t be happier.
Finally—he had a winner.

He opened the door all expectant.
But she said, “What you doing here?
I’m just so terribly busy.
See you tomorrow, dear.”

She gave him a couple of cookies
As she hurried him out of the door.
His feelings were hurt. He decided
Not to go there anymore.

He looked at the cookies she gave him.
He almost threw them away.
He didn’t feel quite that rotten
But it sure was a lousy day.

There wasn’t really a Christmas.
It was probably only a day
And that junk about being happy
Was probably a lie anyway.

When he was little he just thought he was happy.
You can fool little kids that way.
There was no place he could find Christmas.
He didn’t care what people say.

Then a lady said, “Could you help me?
I’d really be glad if you would.”
When he helped her she kept saying, “Thank you.”
It made him feel kind of good.

He saw this man who was shopping
Carrying sixteen packages, maybe more.
Even thought the guy didn’t ask him
He went and held open the door.

He said, “Hey, Merry Christmas!”
To some kid who he didn’t even know.
And his home, where he’d felt so picked on,
Was the place where he just had to go.

He decided he needed his family
He wanted to be near his mother.
And although it surprised him to feel it
He realized that he loved his brother.

In a way he felt sort of funny
And although nothing was said
There was kind of a feeling of Christmas
When the family headed for bed.

He kissed his mom and he hugged her.
He was even nice to his brother.
He gave his sister a cookie
And gave his brother the other.

He put his socks in the hamper
He turned off the light in the hall.
And he got himself right into bed
And he didn’t even kick the wall.

In a way he was kind of different
But mostly he was the same.
He still liked to tease and he’d soon forget
To put away some game.

But he liked what he was feeling.
He knew the other were feeling it too.
He hoped they would feel it tomorrow.
Then he suddenly knew what to do.

He still couldn’t solve all the problems.
He’d still probably fight with the boys.
They’d still be hungry in Asia
And there’d still be kids with no toys.

He’d still feel bad when he blundered.
He’d still show off now and then.
He still had to learn all those lessons
That help little boys become men.

But he could show that he cared about people.
He could start with him mom and his dad.
To know that they loved him was better
Than any old gift to be had.

He didn’t have to go looking for Christmas.
He wondered now why he thought that he should.
He didn’t have to make everyone happy.
He didn’t even always have to be good.

People just had to care for each other.
He knew that wasn’t a whim
And he knew that the place to find Christmas
Was right inside of him.