Poetry Explorer


Classic and Contemporary Poetry


THE SAINT OF MANY NAMES by AMOS RUSSEL WELLS

First Line: WHEN WE WRITE A NOTE TO HIM
Last Line: AFTER ALL, IS HE!
Subject(s): CHRISTMAS; SANTA CLAUS; NATIVITY, THE; NICHOLAS, SAINT;

When we write a note to him
Full of our desires
For a doll that shuts its eyes,
And a gun that fires;
When we hang our stockings up
By the chimney side, --
Stockings long and very large,
Gaping open wide;
When we beg to watch awhile,
Still as we can be, --
It is Santa Claus, of course,
We expect to see.

When we let the household know
Christmas Day has come,
Blowing on the new cornet,
Banging on the drum;
When we eat the oranges,
Candy, turkey, pies;
When on jolly Jumper Hill
The double-runner flies;
When we have the best of times
All of Christmas Day,
It is good Kriss Kringle, then,
Joins us in our play.

When the candles glitter bright
On the Christmas tree,
With the spangles and the stars
Wonderful to see;
When the people crowd the room,
And the children sing,
And from out the belfry high
Christmas carols ring;
When they give the presents round,
Then all go away,
That is kind Saint Nicholas
Finishing the day.

Ah, but when it all is done,
And I go to bed,
Drums and sleds and pies and trees
Jumbled in my head,
Then the little mother comes
Just to say good-night,
And she tells how shepherds once
Saw a glorious light,
And a Babe that came to earth
With a thought of -- me;
And I think the Christmas saint,
After all, is He!



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