Evening sets on a tucked away town
Childrens’ feet bounce off the slippery steps of the school bus
They rush to make it home before the early winter night falls
Across the tracks,
Lights are twirled meticulously across the evergreen giant
The broken blinkers stand out like sore thumbs
An onlooker eyes the ordeal
Enthralled in the joy the decorations spell
An ear-piercing horn signals an incoming train
Men and women step off the platform into the frosty air, weary from a long day of work
Throwing their coats over their back, they make their way carefully up the icy steps
One man drives his car down the dirt road
Snowflakes begin to fall slowly on the dashboard
They signal the first white christmas in years
He squints his eyes to see through the fog and peers cautiously out his window
Taking in the light from every home he passes
If he looked carefully through the dusted trees and frosted windows,
He’d see teenagers doing their last bit of homework at the dining room table
Or a young couple decorating their first tree
Opening his front door, he’s greeted by the smell of buttery bread
A warm kiss on his cheek, kids tugging at his leg
The living room is lit by the TV and a laughing track fills the room
Presents pile up in the corner, one inches away from toppling over
Hanging up his things, he’s reminded why this is his favorite time of the year
Reflections Literary Magazine 