211213 Sentinel, The King of Christmas

I wrote this in December of 1997 shortly before I bought my first computer. It was hand written and the only person who knew who the king of Christmas was after I read the story to the family was my mother. That was a sad thing to me.

The King of Christmas

When it comes to Christmas,
Christ the lord is king.
But listen while I tell you of yet another king;
One who has perhaps, a less familiar ring?

His kingdom it was small, as earthly kingdoms go;
His kingdom lined up with others, in the kingdom row.
His subjects they were poor, as poor as poor could be;
But they were lnot taxed, and lived a life quite free.

He was a very benevolent king; of this I am quite sure.
His motives I will tell you; they were always kept quite pure.
His kingly motivation, his awesome kingly pride;
To his subjects good will, was always closely tied.

Often in a snow storm, his carriage could be found;
Fetching the perfect tree for his subjects to gather round.
Merchants near and far, welcomed the annual event;
For the king emptied their shelves to a great extent.

Christmas mornings, the tree was oft’ not seen;
For it was often hidden, behind presents red and green.
Children ran up and viewed with delight,
Packages stacked to a dizzying height.

The queen set out a festive table,
Enjoyed by any and all who were able.
No one left her palace on any Christmas day, to travel over the land,
Not without a generous gift, firmly held in hand.

After Christmas season, the queen would see the counting house and let out a sigh.
The king’s debt load always ran quite high.
The queen ran the palace and she used every measure
To ensure the gracious king his every pleasure.

But the king, he got old and eventually he died.
His subjects, each and every one, opened up and cried.
The queen lived on, and endures, through this fable.
I am happy to say, this very year, she graces my Christmas table.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sadly his queen also has also died in 2005, leaving me only memories of their kindness at Christmas.

This picture is the king and me in 1988, It's the only time he ever put his arm around me.