From: jstc_ss@troi.cc.rochester.edu (JUSTIN COLLINS)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.poems
Subject: POEM: Christmas without Santa (Please READ C&C welcome)
Date: 14 Dec 92 20:29:57 GMT
Organization: University of Rochester - Rochester, New York

Hey everyone, 
   I am still pretty new to writing poetry but I wrote this today after
I read the following article and I wanted to share it with someone.  I
would like comments back from people about this poem.  Also to clarify 
ahead of time the first part refers to a past best-friend, and the second
part refers to the child in the story that I appended after the poem.


-----------------------------

Christmas without Santa


you would tell a story
  a story of christmas past
when santa didn't come

from that moment on
  I felt your pain
I shared your loss

now a little boy lies hungary
  santa won't visit him either
he cries out for his family

The tears roll down my cheek
  The hurt comes from deep inside
I cry for this little boy

I to have experienced this
  a christmas without santa
watching my family in despair

may there be a day
  a day when no little boy or girl
has a christmas without santa

12/14/92

-------------------------------

well I would like people comments on this, I really do not like it that much
form wise, but after reading the following article I just wrote something.
Anyways any comments and/or criticisms would be really appreciated...

peace,
-justin


ps here is the article I was talking about...


	PORT ANGELES, Wash. (UPI) -- A letter ostensibly from a young child to
Santa Claus has authorities in a depressed Pacific Northwest timber town
scrambling to find the youngster and help his family.
	The boy, Thad, of Port Angeles, Wash., enclosed a Christmas wish-
list, asking for food for his hungry mother and a job for his out-of-
work father. For himself, he asked ``to be with the angels'' so mom and
dad won't have to buy things for him anymore.
	``Please help my mom and dad this Christmas,'' began the letter. ``My
dad is not working anymore. We don't get many food now. My mom gives us
the food she would eat. Please help my mom and dad.
	``I want to go to Heven too be with the angels. Can you bring me to
Heven? My mom and dad woud not have too by things for me no more. That
would make them happy. Please bring my dad a job an some food.
	``I live in my house like last year. We got candils. A city many took
the lights away. It looks like we don't live here no more. We do. I will
wate for you too come in my room.
	``I will not slep. Wen you give my dad a job and some food too my mom
I will go with you and the rain deer.
	``Merry Christmas to you Mrs. Clas too the elfs too.
	Thad.``
	Next to the name was a tree and a tiny star.
	Someone dropped the unstamped letter in the mailbox at the county
courthouse. Postal authorities turned it over to the state Child
Protective Services. Police, sheriffs deputies, school officials and the
power company have assisted in the search for Thad, but so far he has
not been found.
	``We just want to find this kid and make sure he has a good
Christmas,'' sheriff's Sgt. Monty Martin told the local newspaper.
	``We're afraid that he may be a kid who's fallen through the cracks,''
said local schools superintendent John Pope.