Sights And Sounds Of Christmas Poem by Tom J. Mariani

How do I know
Christmas is near
Signs around our house
Make it very clear

Advent paper windows
Get opened each day
Twenty-five to count
Teaching grandkids to pray

They're more excited by
The piece of candy they find
Such a small prize makes big eyes
It's a joy of a special kind

Each window has a little prayer
To remind why we count each day
There's other things that tell me
Santa too is on his way

When the tree goes up
Home-made decorations are best
Ornaments bought for special days
Make up the rest

Special lights for the Manger
Ceramics fired by great-great-great aunt Vie
Ornaments made in pre-school
Thirty years gone by

Then what they've all waited for
A cloth Snowman my wife made
His bulging belly's a pouch
Filled with candy starts a parade

He hangs by Grandma's chair
Right there on the wall
As soon as they can reach
They want to be this tall

One by one day by day
A piece here a piece there
Some too short figutre out
To stand on Grandma's chair

Pretty soon the Snowman's belly
Starts to go flat
No one knows for sure but
Someone always takes care of that

Finally a noise that I hear
A sort of occasional clink
Someone secretly checking for
Christmas cookies in the jar by the sink