‘Looking Back For Christmas’
© Joe Canning 2016. All Rights Reserved.

An old man now, I’m looking back,
to Christmas days when young,
To a childhood full of happiness
in our simple Irish home.

No fancy phones or TVs,
electric scooters, bikes,
no Internet to trap us,
back when children played outside.

Dressed up to the nines we were,
as off we went to church,
with parents proud as peacocks
in our hand me down best clothes.

And when the priest had blessed us,
like gazelles we took to flight,
to finish opening the gifts,
that Santa brought last night.

I had an orange and an apple,
a Cadburys’ chocolate bar
A little gun and holster
and a little wind up car.

I loved that little silver gun,
that fired exploding caps,
It almost deafened granny
when I fired it from her lap.

My brother he was older,
he got shoes and socks and shirts,
and a pair of shiny wellies;
to go splashing in the dirt.

He got chocolate, he got toffee,
and a bike with shiny wheels
A hook and line and sinker
to go fish the river Deele.

My five big older sisters,
that went to record hops,
got funny looking things to wear
beneath their skirts and tops.

Things they said were compacts,
that held powder, mirrors and pads,
that made them nice for boyfriends,
who were terrified of dad.

And when Christmas day was over,
when we’d danced and ate our fill,
We young ones toddled off to bed,
as the old ones sat and chilled.

I looked out my bedroom window,
blew a kiss to the Christmas moon,
I said a prayer for mum and dad,
and one for Santa too.

Merry Christmas to all at Stair na hÉireann and to all who follow their wonderful site.

Joe Canning’s Poetry Page on Facebook

Photo: Ballynure, Ballyclare, Co Antrim, Martin Spence Photography