By Gus Mosso, Cape May.
I was born in Brooklyn during the Great Depression
The youngest of six, not much of an impression
Our flat, not centrally heated – I remember the cold
A kitchen cast iron coal stove – ‘twas really quite old.
Two kerosene heaters–one up front, the other way back
Yes, we were chilled, but warmth we did not lack
Our sunny dining room was the center of our life
Where we ate our meal, we laughed, forgetting strife.
Our Christmas tree was purchased late in the day
When vendors were willing to take “what you could pay”
With lots of imagination and colorful homemade decorations
Our living room tree earned the children’s admirations.
As I said, times were very difficult for my siblings and me
There were very few gifts under our sparse tree
Hand-knitted mittens, a woolen scarf, secretly created with love
By our dear, sweet mother now reigning in heaven above.
As I look back over the many years past
And how I have had so much that did not last
I remember children laughing in our warm dining space
And long for a simple Christmas, filled with God’s grace.
Avalon – The lights in New York Times Square on 37th Street are shining brightly once again. However, they are a nuisance and very unattractive. This is known as light trespassing and it affects migrating…
