THE CHRISTMAS ROBIN

by Maura Kelly

The little bobbing Robin
Sat on my windowsill
And looked at me with sadness
As I lay in bed unwell

And as it flapped its little wings
To welcome Christmas Day
It hopped upon my table
To hear what I might say

‘Hello my friend, good cheer to you
The snow has come at last
And much as I would like to play
My days of fun have passed

For my leg it is now broken
Said the doctor with concern
So rest I must for many weeks
What a lesson to be learned’

Then Robin gave a wink to me
And flew around the room
And everywhere he went, he chirped
‘Don’t move, I’ll be back soon’

Then in a moment he was gone
Through the window at great haste
And way beyond the curtain
He had picked up quite a pace

But in the distant echoes
The smell of embers burned
As Winter’s chill descended
Robin suddenly returned

And in his beak were tiny twigs
Too small for me to see
But back and forth he came and went
To build a Christmas tree

And bit by bit it slowly grew
Taking shape where I did lay
As I looked on in fondness
At Robin’s caring ways

And as a tear fell on my cheek
His present now emerged
With moss and fern to decorate
The sound of music could be heard

And with the ringing of the bells
A distant cry was made
As Robin flapped his wings once more
To start his big parade

For birds and animals countrywide
Stood in the snow below
To wish me a Merry Christmas
And good tidings on the go

The sparrows and the magpies
The pigeons and the crows
The foxes and the rabbits
Deers leaping high and low

The badgers and the drumming moles
The squirrels marching bold
As hawks kept watch across the ground
The mice hid from the cold

For Robin’s friends had joined him
On this very special day
To put a smile upon my face
And blow the sorrows away

The gift of friendship they did make
In the garden of my home
Stirred up feelings of great happiness
That I was loved and not alone

And with this scene of wonderment
And Robin’s endearing ways
A stocking full of magic
Arrived for me on Christmas Day