The Christmas tree lights illuminated the room,

The food remained half eaten:

A feast fit for the millions of people

Who had finally left,

Leaving tiny, fading footprints

In heavy fallen snow.

In the room with the captivating lights sat a girl,

Glad all the aunts had left with their bright red lipstick kisses

And blistering cheek pinches.

Ones that made her hide in her father's closet-

Rich in smell of a missed man.

She sat, in her poofy green dress

Curly auburn piggy-tails

With a book, her favorite,The Velveteen Rabbit.

She watched the pictures of a ragged bunny transformed

Into the real by a beautiful, sacred fairy.

She desperately wished she could witness a miracle like that...

She heard whimpers in the next room,

She stood on tiny toes and softly danced to her mother's bedroom.

The door was open but a crack

And her almond eyes peered in:

You'd think there would've been a note

Or men standing at the door

But

There only was a beautiful woman,

Drowned in sorrow, hate, lonliness

Holding their tiny gem,

Who just asked why daddy couldn't be there.

Mama's tear-stained face made her enter in,

And comfort golden locks

And tell why daddy wasn't there-

He had to go away for a while

To fight for...

America, freedom, liberty, life?

But she didn't fully understand these things and Mama just cried more.

They all embraced each other and let Mama cry

Hot tears.

Daddy told her to be good to take care of Mama

No matter what

When...

Then he left

The baby came

And two Christmases passed....

There was a knock at the door.

Mama's muscles tensed up

Like she always did

At a knock at the door.

They all stood up Mama composed herself,

Wiping wet mascara all over.

Then Mama opened the door

Expecting the worse tidings so far...

But all stood in awe

At the dark silhouette

Dressed in a soldier's uniform.

Mama let out a gasp and started to cry some more-

The small little child finally understood why he left,

And found the intangible miracle she'd been looking for.

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You were completely honest… But it was too late, as your tear drops fell upon my coffin and I lay dead beneath.

excerpt from You Broke Me   by Luke