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There was a time ...

Sometimes I'm a little Child--
Small & insecure,
Afraid everyone will look down on me.
Better to be invisible than looked down on.

Sometimes I'm a Hearthrob--
Girls fall at my feet; Guys scowl at my smile.
I'm more Romantic than the Moon.

Sometimes I'm laid back--Nothing really bothers me,
I don't really bother anybody else.
Life is good.

Sometimes I'm a Punk--I can't be bothered by anyone.
I can't listen to anyone.
I can't be listened to enough.

Sometimes I'm a Ghost--I look like a lot, but I'm not;
I'm empty air
Not even full of sound and fury.

But all the time I am Me-- A shape with many sides,
A complex Polygon, made from conflicting parts,
Showing one side at a time.

There was a time when I had nothing to worry about. I could just sit back and enjoy the day. No pressure, no stress.

Life was so much simpler back then.

Of course, I wasn't really going anywhere; I was just bobbing up and down in the waves of life. I guess the price of progression is the loss of ease. Of course, when we've progressed to the end, it will--ironically--all seem like ease.

I kind of wish I were there now.

Do you dance in the wonder of new fallen snow
  or curse the cold wind and the ice-covered roads?
Do the lights and the sights make you feel like a child
  or the gripes and the fights make you want to go wild?
Is your mailbox filled up with kind cards of good cheer
  or fliers with specials and discounts and sales?
Are you happy when carolers knock at your door
  or lament the time spent on songs youÌve heard before?
Are the hustle and bustle a headache to bare
  or an essential part of the holiday fare?
Are you grateful for every gift that you get
  or ask for a receipt so you can return it?

Commotion or emotion; laughter or tears—
do you hear sadness, or do you hear what I hear?

-Jeff Thomason, November 30, 2005

I read Christmas stories and watched Christmas shows.
I put up bright lights and played in the snow.
I bought Christmas presents and made Christmas punch
And sat by the fire eating Christmas Eve brunch.

It wasn't the same and hadn't been for years--
The lights and the gifts and the wishes of good cheer.
The snow was still pretty and the decorations still grand,
But somehow it all still felt just a little bit bland.

I wanted to feel that ole' holiday Joy
Like I used to feel when I was a small boy.
But it wasn't in stores or on Christmas displays,
And carolers didnÌt bring it, much to my dismay.

Where were you Christmas? Where was your spirit?
It couldnÌt have gone far; I had to be near it.
IÌd tried really hard—I'd gone through the motions,
IÌd set up my tree and paid my devotions.

And then it hit me: I was trying too hard!
I can't make Christmas happen—It comes on its own.
So I kicked back my head and stared up at the star.
And I finally saw Christmas again—with Wondering Awe.

Jeff Thomason 11/15/2003

The old lady of eighty was home alone.
Being widowed and childless she sat
Watching the fire and stroking her cat
Wondering if the storm had stopped
And if the snow had piled so high
That it had buried her windows and doors.

Then she jumped in her chair startled at the sound
Of plastic and metal on concrete moving around.
Then peered out the window to examine the site
And realized the sound of walks being cleared that night
Sounded like angels she had once heard on high.

-Jeff Thomason, November 6, 2002

'Twas a night so silent
That the children could hear
The sounds of their father
And the drop of each tear.
For but a week had gone by
Since his wife had passed away
And sadness filled the home;
Still tomorrow was Christmas Day.

Why this had happened
To him just wasn't quite clear
But lying beind him in a manger
Was a Source of some cheer
For the Giver of Life had been born
And the Conqueror of Death there lay
And the family could once more celebrate
For tomorrow was Christmas day!

Jeff Thomason 2001

To children, it seems it will never come
Despite the lights, the songs, the winter games,
And stacks of presents underneath the tree.
The days drag on as the excitement builds—
Christmas seems so far, far away.

To adults, it's a distant memory—
Something they enjoyed a long time ago—
But now they're busy with work and with bills.
The days fly by with no time to enjoy.
Christmas seems so far, far away.

But Christmas is more than a day in December,
And cards, and shopping, and decorations—
It's Hope; It's Joy; It's the promise of Life
To carry thru the next year and beyond!
Christmas need not be so far, far away.

-Jeff Thomason, December 7, 2007

Whether your plans include family
  and hanging out at home,
Or searching for this year's hot new toy
  (or maybe its clone),
Or reading the words the angels spoke
  that night a new star shown--
Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas!
  (even if you spend it alone)

Jeff Thomason
October 19, 2006

My Corner LP

Bonus track: Too Much - 3:01

Click on a song title above. Music may take a few minutes to load.

Spotlight

Bonus track: Soliloquy - 2:52

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Soundtrack

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Click here to see the reason for the "trick" in trick-or-treating.

(The movie is 1.7MB, so it may take some time to download.)

Click here to find the key to the secret of the universe.

(The movie is 4.4MB, so it may take some time to download.)