Christmas Photograph

Christmas Photograph
© Surazeus
2017 12 25

The old man stops one of three at the mall
as they are passing windows full of toys
and shows him torn, faded photograph
while gazing down at him with moonlit eyes.

"This is my favorite Christmas photograph
of me with my family on Christmas Day,
all dressed up to eat the holiday meal,
standing around the pine tree full of lights."

The young man takes the offered photograph,
then laughs and tosses it down to the floor.
"You tore this photograph from catalog
selling Christmas gifts, and glued in your face."

The old man laughs and strokes his long white beard.
"How right you are, for I am Santa Claus,
and I am testing hearts of random people
to ensure they fulfill the Christmas Spirit."

The young boy squints his eyes with skeptic sneer.
"You are not Santa Claus, you blind old fool,
since you are nothing but some homeless man
who clings to memories in eyes of strangers."

The young man shoves the old man on the ground
then walks away to join his shopping friends,
and tells them how some weird old man pretends
that he is Santa Claus, then they all laugh.

The old man sits on bench outside a store
and watches people walking past in groups
whose every rainbow-chasing step will crush
the Christmas photograph that he posed for.

"I was an orphan left on old church steps,
but when I was a child but twelve years old
I worked as a model for catalogs,
posing with fake families by Christmas trees."