Pennies and Wishbooks

Theme: Your favorite or most memorable Christmas. Be descriptive and let us in on the backstory as to the why it stands out in memory.
Words to use: Any and all you wish :)
Forbidden words: Free day :)
Additional parameters: at least 48 lines.

Pennies and Wishbooks


Christmas 1978
we rolled pennies to get our tree
and at that, it was sad, a mishapen
bundle of sticks
rained needles even as Dad and I
carried it in the house.
Looked so small, needy
as we set it up in the stand--
less than five feet tall where,
in previous years,
a twenty-foot tree reigned.

No money for gifts--
baby food and diapers
were priorities.
My infant daughter's first Christmas.
We joked that at least
she wouldn't remember it.
We did though.
Just out of the Army.
Came home to find out my dad's
company had folded.
The star leaned, canted.

Sears Roebuck's Wishbook.
And we wished big for life
to turn round. Cut out pictures
of what we'd give if money
were no option on the Christmas
when money was not an option.
Wtapped pictures in old wrapping paper;
put those beneath the tree,
watched as needles fell
like our spirits.

Spent rolled pennies on oranges:
an absolute to have in the toe:
at least one tradition
would be maintained.
Seventy-two rolls of collected pennies:
thirty-six dollars. Tree was ten.
Won a turkey at the church festival
when Mom's name was pulled from the jar.
She'd already had a chicken in the freezer:
donated the turkey to a family
worse off than ours. Felt so good.

Christmas Eve, it seemed as if
the star was straighter in the tree
even though most of the needles
blanketed pretty, mostly empty boxes below.
We sang Christmas carols
as we put my daughter to bed.
It hurt that there'd be no Santa this year.
Dad said he believed it would be
one of the most special Christmases ever,
as he said goodnight.
The little girl in me wanted to still believe.

In the morning, we opened boxes
to discover pictures of mother's rings,
tablesaws, big, floppy teddybears
and a new oven. We laughed and giggled
and it was good. Last presents had
some weight to them. Small jewelry box
dad made for Mom, a horse carved into wood for me
and a jointed wooden doll for my daughter.
Tags read from Santa saying to always believe.
Most important thing in each box
had been love.

I collected and kept the wishbook pictures
of things for Mom and Dad.
Over the years, got them every single thing.
Even the delivery man from Sears
was in on the story
wishing Mom, Merry Christmas, 1978
when he showed up at the door in June, 1982.
I remember how bright and straight and true
the star was on Christmas morning.
Far again and away the best Christmas ever
with the best tree we ever had.