Santa's Reindeer
by Stan Paregien, Sr.
Copyright 1991

It was nearly Christmas time, again,
And Joe was up on his normal luck.
He asked his daughter to name Santa's deer
And for that he'd give her a whole buck.

Little Jodi began to name the reindeer,
As steady as the ticking of a clock.
"There's Rudolph, Prancer and Dancer
And...uh...Bullwinkle, Dopey and Doc."

Old Joe looked down at his daughter
As she sat expectantly on his knee:
"Okay, you win, but you made a couple
Of lucky guesses, it seems to me."

_____________________End.
Based on a "Born Loser" cartoon for 12/13/91.





The Truth About 
    Santa Claus
by Stan Paregien, Sr.
Copyright 1992

"There is no Santa Claus,"
I told my kids last year.
They took it pretty well,
With hardly even a tear.



I have my work cut out,
And expect a lot of strife,
As this year I go all the way
And explain it to my wife.

__________________End.





A Special Christmas Pageant
by Stan Paregien, Sr.
Copyright 1995

Wally sure messed up the pageant,"
One old woman said as she left the hall.
But most who were there that night
Say it was the best pageant of all.

Wallace Purling was 9-years-old,
And retarded his teachers did say.
That's why he was only in the 2nd grade,
Rather than 4th, on this pageant day.

Kids who were intent on winning
Never wanted Wally on their team.
Often he was left on the sideline,
Waiting, but still able to dream.

Because he was biggest in his class,
He was given the inn keeper's part.
And the teacher helped him practice
Until he knew his few lines by heart.

The night of the Christmas pageant
Arrived right on cue.
And all of the 2nd grade class members,
Including Wally, had something to do.

At the appointed time, Joseph and Mary
Knocked on the inn keeper's door.
And Wally, bless his tender heart, said:
"What do you want?" with a roar.

The boy playing Joseph barely squeaked,
"We need a place to spend the night."
Wally barked, "We're full up as usual.
Try the inn down the street, on the right."

Joseph begged, "That inn has no room,
And my wife, Mary, is nearly worn out.
Isn't there a small room or even a stable,
For us to sleep in, here about?"

"No, there is no room in this inn,"
Wally said with a tremble in his voice.
"But, sir," Joseph pleaded, "her baby is due."
That's when Wally's eyes began to get moist.

Wally's voice quivered as he finally said,
"You will have to leave this place."
And as Joseph and Mary turned to go,
The audience saw the tears on Wally's face.

Suddenly, everyone was taken by surprise
As Wally changed his lines to say,
"Wait, please. You can have my room.
You don't have to go away."

Folks still talk about that Christmas pageant,
And about what Wally said that year.
Mostly they say the real Christmas spirit
Came through especially loud and clear. 

____________________________End.
*This really happened in the Midwest years ago.
My poem was published in Good Old Days
Christmas Memories (Berne, IN: House of 
White Birches, 1995)