Christmas Time in Dixie (12/08/2006)
A Poem From the Vault
I was fairly certain I’d written this in the same evening I’d uploaded it to my blog, December 08, 2006, after finally getting a break from finals. That certainty didn’t survive a dive into my files, where I found multiple handwritten fragments and several digital versions, each with slight variations. I have reconciled my issues and decided on this final version:
Christmas Time in Dixie
12/08/2006
Bland Christmas breathing Fire into my soul, Making me wish for The white fallin' snow. Though my bones ache And my joints cry From the cold. Or maybe it’s from workin', But probably I’m just gettin’ old. Dark noon-time is fallin’ Like the day Jesus died. Windy shadows slinkin', Shiftin' right before my eyes. The sunset’s sinkin' faster, Beneath this tired skyline – Sometimes I wonder What the sun is tryin’ to hide. Broken hearts are bleedin’, Purged by bright blinkin' lights, And TV personalities Tell ya, “Hold somebody tight” It’s droppin’ down hard Into the 20s again tonight. Let your faucets drip some To prevent those busted pipes. It’s Christmas Time in Dixie, The bars are open late, The ‘tenders pass beer ‘round To folk who wanna sate The call of the dark frost And the task of buyin' cheap shit For folks they don’t really know And snivellin', ungrateful kids. Santa Claus in Triplicate At each and every mall, Lots of kids want lots of things, You have to see ‘em all. And New Year’s round the corner, Yes, I’m sure we’ll all have a ball– We’ll hoist it up and take our shots, Cheer like idiots when it finally falls. It’s Christmas Time in Dixie, There are folks in the streets Who fight for their lives To stand on their feet, While buyin' big presents, And takin' out bigger loans– Just another sad step towards Keepin’ up with the Jones. Don’t say X-Mas Time in Dixie, The thumpers will seethe If removal of Jesus Is what they perceive. But that wasn’t His name, And that damn sure wasn’t His tree– Christians steal anything, Greed is the only real evergreen. They say it’s too brown in Dixie Where the snow rarely falls, But that ain’t what they’re sayin’, So they whitewash it all. Dress Linn Park for Christmas, Make the Daughters bust at the seams, Then go down to Montgomery, Throw a string of lights on old Robert E. Yes, it’s Christmas Time in Dixie, The lines are so long, They curl and they loop While store speakers play songs With voices so happy It’s clear enough to see None of these folks have Been privy to this wary scene. Cafe shops are so full now, Packed with big, brimmin' smiles, And business is good when You sell so many styles. There’s free Wi-Fi for patrons Who can’t live without their files– If you’re lookin’ for quiet, There’s nothing to see for miles. Christmas Time in Dixie, The roads are a mess, With cars pilin' in from The trials and the stress. You gotta do so much, The money has got to flow– But it has to buy somethin' That proves how much you know. What the hell would he like? Would he like what I got? Will she love me forever? Will she like it a lot? Will they just shake their head? Will they well up with grateful tears? Would they hold it against me Were I to realize my fears? Christmas Time in Dixie, The people all stare And smile like they’re happy, But they’re not really there. They’re wanderin' blindly, Lost in rose-colored memories– They say it’s not like it was, Everyone’s forgotten what Christmas really means.