The Meaning of Christmas

[Originally published on Cent]

He was a long wispy fellow.

Always there but never noticed; a mere afterthought. An apparition. Aloof to the whole social process. Sad, sappy, stagnant was he.

I speak in the past tense because he vanished that Christmas past.

In church, 8 o'clock - no - no, it was 9 o'clock service at a local church, when in walked his shadow.

Greasy locks of hair the daggers of his soul shielding his eyes - that is if he even had any; no one could really tell.

The warmth of the occasion was depressed by the icy cold breaths he exhaled. He was simply a bane on the human economy of life. He was dead then, he was dead then...

Who bore such a thing. What vile creatures bear the same family name?

It was around half past the hour and unbeknownst to all, the atmosphere had warmed considerably until a cry was heard from the bell tower overhead.

From the icy depths of hell a shriek resounded within the souls of all.

The already fragile flames of the delicate candles extinguished in unison. Glassy eyed and solemn all stood and began to head to the origins of the death to see what they already knew.

Hanging above, limbs quivering like the whisps of a willow over a frozen pond, eyes engorged and bulging with bloody burst capillaries, exposed torso whiter than sun bleached bone, he hung.

Everyone stood, heads tilted at a revolting angle, mouths slightly parted almost as if about to mumble a few words, but nothing escaped them.

Nothing could be said for nothing was known.

Nothingness was ever filled in that hollow shell gently swaying overhead.

It was an undulating omen to remind us what is really important on this day - to fill not boxes with some material commodity, but to allow the experience of life to permeate our lives and grow like yeast, filling our souls with meaning and a diverse spectrum of individually unique hues and colors.

Have a joyous and bountiful Christmas everyone!