Gift From The
Heart
The young boy roamed
aimlessly
on the sidewalks of
downtown.
His hair hung to his
collar
and he was dressed in
hand-me-downs.
He didn't seem to be in a
hurry
with no particular place to
go
and he was not wearing a
coat
against the December
cold.
Stopping at Wiley's
Department Store,
he pressed his face against
the glass
and stared longingly at an
airplane
knowing it would be too
much to ask.
Admiration lit up his brown
eyes
and hopeful dreams showed
on his face,
as he imagined some day
flying
to some faraway, unknown
place.
Suddenly, his eyes changed
direction
to a mother, father and
son
looking at toys in the back
of the store
smiling, laughing and
having fun.
A pained and sorrowful
look
appeared in his big brown
eyes.
Big tears started rolling
down his face
as he sobbed and started to
cry.
The dreams of owning the
plane now
provided him with no
relief
as he longed for something
more
he knew he'd never
achieve.
Composing himself, he
turned away
with one last look as he
did
and walked slowly with head
held down
toward the orphanage where
he lived.
Every day like
clockwork, he stopped
by the store to view
the plane
dreaming of owning it
someday
but he knew it was in
vain.
He didn't believe in Santa
Claus
like all the other
kids.
There was no money for
presents
at the orphanage where he
lived.
Just a few days before
Christmas
he stopped by to wistfully
gaze
only to find the airplane
gone
leaving his dreams all in a
daze.
As he turned to walk away,
he heard
a man say, "Wait a minute,
son!"
"I really want to talk
to you."
"My name is Mr.
Young."
The man approached him with
a smile
dressed in a uniform of
blue
and fear possessed the
lad
as he'd been loitering, it
was true.
For loitering wasn't
allowed,
some store owners had
complained
but his stately blue
uniform
didn't look quite the
same.
"What's your name, son?"
the man asked.
"Billy, sir," the lad shyly
said.
"You live at the orphanage,
don't you?"
Oh, Billy felt a sense of
dread.
Then the man handed Billy a
package.
"Here, Billy, this is for
you."
Billy was shy and
reluctant
and didn't know what to
do.
"Go ahead, Billy, it's
okay. Open it."
Billy sat down on the
walk
and as he tore off the
wrapping,
His voice quivered as he
tried to talk.
For inside the large
wrapped box
was the basis of all his
dreams.
There truly was a Santa
Claus
at least on that day
so it seemed.
As Billy walked
away,
the man's eyes filled with
tears
as he remembered his
childhood
filled with loneliness and
fears.
For he grew up without a
family
and had spent his childhood
days
dreaming of becoming a
pilot
and knew he'd find a
way.
Poem by Carol Barton
Copyrighted 2003 ~ Carol Barton
