So long ago
before sadness and heartbreak
Christmastime
an aluminum tree with a four-color wheel
I'd lay under the tree watching for hours
slowly turning, red to yellow to blue to green
Elvis' Christmas eight track repeating on dad's console stereo
Mom making all kinds of candy
divinity, fudge, rock candy, multi-colored, dusted with powdered sugar
and every year they'd play "the tape"
little me, attempting to sing Rudolph the Red-nosed reindeer
try as I might I couldn't say shiney
every time, it was shinety
on the tape, mom and dad saying
'not shinetly, shiney, try again'
every time the word came out shinety
years faded away, the tape long gone
Tonight i'd like to hear it one more time
Perhaps to beckon the ghosts of mom and dad
to once again feel, if only for a fleeting moment
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