Does Santa Claus Climb Down Broken Chimneys?

abandoned

PHOTO PROMPT © Rowena Curtin

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“Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child, Holy Infant so tender and mild…”

Derek crouched by the fire barrel rubbing his hands together while Anna sang Christmas songs to her little girls.

“Another homeless fucking Christmas,” he muttered.

Old Saul backhanded him on the shoulder. “Hush and let those babies dream.”

“It’s all crap,” Derek hissed back. “There’s no blessing being homeless. Fifteen families freezing in this dump. No baby Jesus will save us.”

“You’re young yet, Derek.” Saul’s voice ground like a cement mixer. “Miracles aren’t money. Look around you. Being able to love in this hole is the miracle.”

It’s Wednesday and once again time to participate in Rochelle Wisoff-Fields 22 December 2023 edition of Friday Fictioneers. The idea is to use the image above as the inspiration for crafting a poem or short story no more than 100 words long. My word count is exactly 100.

Sorry for the “language,” but it’s what my character Derek would say. It’s hard to see the image above at this time of year and not think about people who are homeless and hopeless. This is supposed to be the season of miracles, hope, and joy, but where’s the joy when you’re freezing and sleeping on the concrete floor of an abandoned building. How do you give hope to hungry children who believe Santa Claus only comes for rich little boys and girls.

Okay, not everyone celebrates Christmas. Heck, I don’t celebrate Christmas anymore, but the marketing is inescapable, at least in first world cultures.

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Screenshot from the internet.

There are actually two miracles in the story. The first is the one Saul mentioned, the ability to love and to see a better tomorrow when you have nothing. The second is similar. The ability to love others and to be kind and giving when all of your own needs are met in abundance.

To read other stories based on the prompt, visit inlinkz.

The SciFi anthology Shoot the Devil 2: Dark Matter has received a wonderful review which mentions my short story “The Heavens Declare His Glory.” Please have a read.

33 thoughts on “Does Santa Claus Climb Down Broken Chimneys?”

  4. Wise words.
    Yes, there are miracles.
    We need to have the eyes to see & appreciate.
    Agree that we cannot miss the marketing.
    Festivals & celebrations have extra these days.

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  16. It is indeed hard to see the vaunted joys of the season when they are above your reach. I, too, think of the homeless as the cold weather descends. I have lots of yarn leftover from other projects, and I make hats and mittens and scarves to be donated to the homeless. A small thing, but it’s something.

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