Opinion 122

Ah, winter break! How like an angel of heaven you appear to me now, promising peace and rest where none were expected. Joy! Joy I say! In the highest and lowest places of the earth! A child has been born and this man has thereby laid his pen and ink down. Ah, hallowed cove of irresponsibility. Ah, splendid arena of money-making, gift-receiving and feasting! Ah, drinks now already imbibed and those waiting their imbibing! Sweet, hallowed tree in our corner. Am I numb in mind, am I snookered? Have you just spoken to me? Oh, nature's home-residing guest, what have you said? Speak oh fir, speak oh needles, richly ornamented and somehow coming alive, alive. Oh, nutcracker! What riches will you, having broken off hard and shallow shells, provide? Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Dare I say that not since Bethlehem has a Christmas been so important, so life-saving. I do dare! And I say! Ah, foolish words from a man in love with his foolishness! Come now wrapped delights! Come now terrible, terrible songs, sweet only in abstraction. Hark! Hark! Ah, the bed - the warm and tender holiday rest. Oh feast of sleep! Oh feast of slumber! Sleep, now baby, do not stir! Take as your example that holy child who wept not (or so we are told in some inane tune or another). Follow his lead, child, follow! Thy father has a hard time now under sweet and heavy slumber, induced by the heavenly nectar of Kentucky! Hark! Make way! This pilgrim is drifting down, down, upon the floor! Hark! No room in the end? Heavens, no, he just couldn't find his room. The floor will do! This is a season of humility, of caves and caverns and festive taverns, flitting birds of snow and feather, warm sugar cookies, frigid weather, ancient tales hard to believe, deficits and receipts hard to conceive, car rides, far rides, build us a snow slide, heaven showers its gifts!