I awoke Christmas morning
To bright cheery faces
But my kids are grown up
Who had taken their places?
My eyes finally focused
And who did I see?
My dog and my cat
They needed to pee
My leg was thrown over
The edge of the bed
A groan from my lips
An ache in my head
First the dog, then the cat
To the stairs we all stumbled
And as we descended
We nearly all tumbled
All of the sudden
We heard such a clatter
My dog began barking
The cat went to scatter
And what to my
Wondering eyes did appear
A lovely blonde lady
Carrying Christmas cheer
She held in her hand
A charming feather tree
Decked out in ornaments
Just as pretty as could be
My Christmas collection
She said with a smile
You get to pick one
So I pondered a while
Antique tinsel on its branches
A miniature Kugel
Several early glass hearts
Even a tiny brass bugle
I asked why she would part
With treasures like these
To start your collection
She responded with ease
A Santa Claus I picked.
A Belsnickle, I think
A Christmas collection
Begun in a wink
So off to the shops
And off to the shows
Off to the auctions
My collection it grows
My own feather tree
A cast iron stand
A fence all around it
It really looks grand
My friends they all love it
Admirers they be
They too became collectors
With their own feather tree
How innocently they start
These collections of joy
And how quickly it spreads
I now collect cast iron toys.
⁄avid S. Smith
