The Little Christmas Tree

The Little Christmas Tree

There was a little Christmas tree
Down in a meadow green,
Although it wasn’t very tall
It was the prettiest ever seen.

But no-one chose that Christmas tree
They thought it far too small,
People came every weekend
Wanting trees wide and tall.

Each year the tree grew by one inch
While others grew two feet,
Though it was loved by all around
It’s life was incomplete.

Till Christmas twenty-twenty came
And visitors were few,
Taller trees got very worried
Unsure of what to do.

For soon they’d all be far too tall
To sit inside a room,
Now they wished they hadn’t grown
Their futures all looked doomed.

The little tree stood silent till
One day voices were heard,
A child pulled parents to the tree
“This one” the blind girl said.

“Are you sure?” mum said, solemnly
“The tall trees stand so proud”,
“Yes” said Beth as the axe was honed
To chop it to the ground.

“No wait” cried Beth, “Please dig it up
We need the roots and all,
So I can grow it in the garden
Till it is strong and tall”.

So the tree was excavated
Complete with large root ball,
Put onto the lorries bed and
Taken to the urban sprawl.

Beth bought a nice big pot for it
And Christnmas lights were found,
She spread the lights from branch to branch
Feeling her way around.

On Christmas eve they turned them on
A silent tear was shed,
For though Beth was totally blind
She could see them in her head.

When Christmas time was past and gone
They took the tree outside.
Planted it in the garden where
The tree felt satisfied.

Every Christmas for ten or mor
they’d decorate the tree,
Adorned in tinsel and bright lights
For the family to see.

But little tree got far too big
To stand beside the fire,
Beth bought a false standard one
The tree had to retire.

For five long years it stood alone
Saw Beth married and gone,
Now nought but ivy graced the tree
Where bright lights once had shone.

Beth’s parents died and she moved back
With her little family,
On Christmas eve they stepped outside
It was wet and chilly.

Beth’s husband placed a long ladder
Against the old green tree,
He draped large lights all around
For everyone to see.

And then the big switch on came
The children screamed with glee,
Beth wiped away a single tear
Wrapped arms around the tree.

She smiled, remembered, years ago
When the tree she first found,
Recalling how she’d made poor dad
Dig it from the ground.

A little hand slipped into hers
To guide her back indoors,
They were so young, Beth wished they could
Stay young forevermore.

The moral of this story is
Don’t rush to reach your prime,
Stay young and keep the old magic
Of a child’s Christmas time.