Photo (that started it all) by the author, Deeann D. Mathews
It was way after Christmas, some weeks and some days;
The tinsels and baubles had all gone away.
Post-holiday blues had asserted their time,
Old Winter was howling, “Your tailbones are MINE!”
The stockings were gone, perhaps being worn,
It seemed there could be no quick end to the storms
That hit the Blue Ridge in Virginia that year,
Dropping their load with big rain, far and near.
Hark – two little homes, on a nice cul-de-sac
Ludlows and Trents, their abodes back to back
Two different families, neighbors and friends
With smart little children – let's count them as ten.
There's Gracie, and Milton, and Velma – all Trents.
Aged eight, nine, eleven – skip ten, as it went.
With Goody the dog with Goldie the cat,
Ready for fun at the drop of a hat.
Next door we find Eleanor, Andrew, and George;
Edwina, Amanda, and Grayson, and more:
Not Rudolph, but Robert, a wee boy of five
(But don't overlook him, for that kid's no jive).
The Ludlow grandchildren, magnificent seven –
Every dear child aged from five to eleven,
And there to guide them in adventure and fun,
Their grandparents as parents, getting that big job done.
The Trents and the Ludlows, their little ones all
Were sick of the cold and the gray and the pall,
With cell phones and Zoom, as all wee ones can,
They put minds together, and hatched out a plan.
Nobody chose Robert, for there was no need:
He just chose himself, and the world would take heed –
With planning was over, down to the last ounce,
He chose his own self to go out and announce.
So, carefully wrapped up, all bundled and warm,
He boldly stepped out into the next big storm:
“Hey, Mr. Winter – you're rough and you're tough
“But we want more Christmas – enough is enough!”
Of course, Little Robert was snatched off the porch
By Big Robert, his grandpa, as strong as a horse
“Boy, what are you thinking – winter does not care!”
“It had to be done, so that's that and so there!”
Ludlow mirror image – just one a bit small;
Lil' Robert was most like his grandpa of all,
So Big Robert knew that hijinks were ahead
But exactly what, grandson left quite unsaid.
Lil' Robert was five, and all that he knew
Was that winter's boredom and bluffing were through.
The older nine children would see to all that;
No details were left to fit under his hat.
So, still undetected, the plan went right on
All hint to the adults had got up and gone
And yet it was going, going by every log
That Gracie could count while out walking her dog.
At last Winter blinked, got distracted, I guess,
At last came a night without a stormy mess.
The morning was heralded with a big thump
That was followed next door with an answering bump.
On Gracie! On Milton! On Velma! And next door
On Andrew, Eleanor, Grayson, and more!
Amanda, Edwina, and George at the rear –
Oh, don't forget Robert, our brave little dear!
Grandparents and parents – their routines took flight
Those kinds of sounds meant that things were not right.
A run to the back, and what did they see?
All the things that belong on a big Christmas tree –
Being dragged to a spot just off their backyards
Just close enough, although still really quite far
For the children had picked out a bare little tree
They thought should be made a bit more Christmas-y.
It had the right shape, though its branches were bare
With plenty of room to tie ribbons on there,
To attach ornaments, all the ones you might want
And quite a few more – what you've got, you can flaunt!
“Winter isn't ready – we've fixed him for real!”
Said Milton, his smile just full of all of the thrill.
“We've rolled back the clock, and now all can see,
“The holidays ending just ain't gotta be!”
“Now if Winter gets mad, and just won't act right
We've thought of that too, foolproof and airtight!”
Said Velma, her smile just as big as could be,
As she beamed away, all confidently.
“We just need y'all grown folks to build us a roof,
A couple of walls, and the thing's winter-proof!
We've already found all the wood you will need –
It's all in the hills all 'round us, for free!”
“I had Goody sniff it, and Goldie to scratch –
The stuff is all solid, and there is no catch!”
Said Gracie, while petting her dog's little head,
While Goldie enjoyed some rubbing instead.
“It's easy to find it – we've made you a map,”
Said Andrew from under his warm winter cap.
“It's color-coded, for I did that myself,”
Said Eleanor, with all her artistic wealth.
“We've marked it all too – it's under control,”
Said George, in now his turn to get on a roll.
“With silver, 'cuz you know duct tape just stays on,
The best thing to use until it's all gone!”
“Robert and I found some good cans of paint,”
Said Grayson, with joy beyond any complaint.
“They fell off a truck about two weeks ago
“And we hate to waste, so they're good to go.”
“We didn't move stuff, so it's all right there,
“Marked up and mapped up, so you could prepare
We listen to you: 'Be careful,' you say
So we didn't hurt ourselves in this way.”
Now that was Edwina, her smile just so bright
That only Amanda could blend with her light:
“We have done our part; we know you'll do yours
We trust you to finish, and do even more!”
If you are a grown folk, just what would YOU do,
With ten little people just trusting in you,
Their hopes and their dreams for a holiday run
Depending on you to get it all done?
The Trents started praying; the Ludlows did too,
What else were these adults in shock first to do?
Their eyes weren't deceiving; their minds were amazed
And they also thought: “Have we just all gone crazed?”
The ornaments twinkled and gleamed in the sun,
And that's how the answer came to everyone:
“If animals come, they need fruit to eat,
These things here won't make a very good treat!”
Lil' Robert had waited his turn to speak out,
His face frowned quite deep, in a big turnabout.
“Oh, that's just no good – that wouldn't be nice –
Glass just doesn't taste like sugar and spice!”
The other nine looked, and their choice was made;
The cost was too high for their wee friends to pay.
Down came the things off the cold, bare tree,
Though those that did that were sad as could be.
“Don't feel too bad – when we're back inside,
So Winter can work, while we safely hide,
Papier-mache snowmen and gold-foil snowflake –
There's really no end to the art we can make!”
The ten little children all shouted “Hooray!”
The adults they trusted had just saved the day!
And just right on time, for wouldn't you know –
The sun disappeared and it started to SNOW!
No one was dressed right, and all had to run,
And that was all good, for the snow was soon done
Right afterwards, the rain came pouring down,
So heavy and violent, you almost could drown.
Still, there was always that voice to be heard;
You know that Lil' Robert would get the last word:
“Okay, Mr. Winter, you win for today,
But I'll get some paper and draw you away!”
He got some paper, and so did the rest,
“This is more fun!” they all rightly confessed
With crayons and markers and scissors and stuff
Each one of them found they had more than enough.
No need for the calendar to turn right back,
No need for old Winter to cut them some slack,
The laughter and fun just went on without care,
'Til wouldn't you know it – bedtime was right there!
The adults were ready to give them a rest;
For they had realized they'd all failed a test –
They thought that some things were just up “too high”
But they didn't know that ten children could fly –
The closets were messed up, some racks there were down,
The clothes had been stepped on and scattered around.
“But how did y'all do this?” – “Oh, we're just the best,
“We're just the best climbers – next up, Everest!”
(You know that was Robert, the fearless and bold,
If he could just live to see six years old,
But you can say lots of stuff when you're five,
Your cuteness will keep your fool self alive!)
The children were brought, their wrong to confess,
Forgiveness then covered up all of the rest.
All ten helped with cleaning up as they could do,
By bedtime, that too was completely through.
No hard feelings left, tranquility reigned,
The adults adulted, and wrath was restrained,
The last voice was laughing, as off went the light:
“Good sleep to all Trents, and to Ludlows, good night!”