Even the Least, But are They?

They come in small groups, sometimes to shop, sometimes to just be out in public. You never know when they are coming, until you spot them and when you do- If you love them they will love you right back.
I saw them walking single file, the last one stopped dead in his tracks when he first noticed me.
I'm in the well worn path to the toy store.
He stopped... eyed me through thick glasses, I thought originally he was visually impaired but it became apparent that there was more going on.
Every four steps he would stop and peek in my direction to see what I was doing. Four steps and stop and peer, moving only his head on his neck, nothing else would change attitude or direction. Four steps and then whip his head and be still, like a heron hunting tadpoles, and then whip back and four steps.
It took him at least twice as long as it would have normally, and the counselor/guide had to, at one point, slow the group down for him in recognition of his behavior, whether uncommon or not.
I myself sat amused and wondered at his revelation... did he see through my disguise? Was he wondering that such a man, touted in story book and movie was really there? Did he fear that I was an apparition come to sneak up behind him and do him harm? Did He know that I am in fact a saint, called to bring peace and joy to this city where he finds himself making his way?
Answers I may never know, but I know that this is the best gig in town.

The protests were in full swing and the city felt a mixture of fear, unsettled and resignation. A young black man walked by our set and someone asked him if he wanted to talk to Santa. He said sure and slowly walked over, kind of dropped to the couch.
"What's going on" I asked. He said he was concerned about school and who he would become.
I said, "a fine young man like your self," and I stopped and said "look here in my eyes and hear me because this is the truth- people are looking for you, to invest in you for your future as well as theirs. You keep doing what you are doing and you're going to fulfill some dreams, more than just yours. Some dreams of other generations in your family"
"You can believe this or not, but Santa never lies..."
He popped up off of that couch and was gliding down the mall way and I knew he'd caught them vision, that he was going to see all of that come to pass when he stopped and through his fist in the air like he had been given something more than a participation trophy, he'd received a gift.

Ode to a Safety Pin

Her children leaving
Not left behind
Receiving merit
Just to be kind
Her query filled
By happy bovine
Would you like a safety pin?





                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
   
Men passing,taunting
My race rules
As though they'd offered something
Prattling fools
And she in dim light
resembled a ghoul
Did you not see my safety pin?

The world around us
losing steam
Society sounds off
in mortal scream
it's coming apart
bursting it's seam
Did you see my safety pin?

Christmas in the midst of anarchy

Twinkle twinkle Rudolph's nose
Here's the question that I pose
Can a city now named for hopeless woes
Awake in the morning and be yet a Rose

I was waiting for the beginning of the grand entry and parade, squirreled away from view in a corridor not likely to be used that time of day and a woman who I thought would just pass through.  Her eyes had an aged sorrow in them and I knew that she was part of the heart of this city. She turned to me and said, "Do you know what I want this year Santa? I want them to stop fighting."

As I was settling in the "big chair" and the children were enjoying cookies and hot chocolate that were reportedly made by Mrs Claus the children made themselves busy decorating snowflakes to hang from the tree. many of the children made gifts of them to me, explaining that they had drawn on them portraits of Rudolph and myself making the great Christmas run, beautiful, they were and carrying the magic of a childs imagination, a magic with a great power of it's own.

Shortly after the crowd of children dissipated, Rian arrived. We had great fun giving everyone a thumbs up. Rian's thumbs were double jointed and I tried not to let my jealousy show. H left reassuring me that he would be back to visit again, this year or next I know not, but I look forward just the same.

She immediately struck me as the spitting image of Cindy Lauper. They same eyes as that beautiful woman and the same sorrow as the woman I mentioned before. She wished she could take a picture and share it with her family, I didn't know if that meant a street family or not but I was sure that she had legitimate relationships there. My staff told me a place where she was pretty sure that she had noticed her frequenting.
Regardless, she came and after the coaxing many need to overcome the fear that they may somehow hurt the delicate flower that I am not and she sat on my knee. She spoke without looking at me beyond a glance, embarrassed that she couldn't afford to pay for the photograph and disappointed that she couldn't get one and then shared her Christmas list consisting of one thing... a home. A home for her and her husband.

The day wore on and more than one group of adults that could have just awakened and rolled out of a hangover encrusted bed and trying to be silly but really not quite arriving at that particular destination until my helpers spotted on young  African american man and something about him caused one of my cohorts to cajole him into sitting with me.
He sat next to me, again either being a young MAN or as so many others before him opted out of crushing my dainty snowflake visage, but regardless we had time to talk. Time to learn that he is in high school advanced placement psychology and hopes to persue that as well as media forms like television and radio.
He spent time trying to find words and was unsure how to ask for something that he knew very well was his to get, but he finally confessed that he wanted a scholarship.
I began to encourage him but he couldn't look me in the eyes for more than a moment as he spoke... I finally said, I had never asked him his name but I told him to stop and look me in the eye and hear my words.
I spoke to his destiny and told him that it was his to get, that he had it in him and that he shouldn't be surprised when it happened.
Then I sent him on his way and I noticed some swagger in his step that had been missing and at on point as he walked away he clapped his hands together in a victorious clap followed by a bit of a hop, he had a renewed hope. There had boldly crept in an anticipation of a victory that he hadn't yet caught sight of, and after all, isn't that what the hump is that we have to get over before we step into success?