[Joebill]

a bit early for Christmas, I wrote this in 2004, where in a Muse and I work on a poem. The poem below.

Holiday Card, 2004

I've had a hard time coming up with something to write this year.

For this, then that idea... So I came up with something else.

Well... it took a bit of working on it.

Evidently my Muse was helping with the sugar plums and toys dancing
in various dreams, so I took a drive to get something to eat.

Muse showed up and had a sit in the car passenger seat. After all I
had suggested it, take a few minutes break, relax, put her feet up
on the dashboard, snooze for a few, then go out and help with a few
more dreams.

She seems to flicker now and again, must be off to take care of some
dreams.

I drove awhile longer and started thinking about the holidays.

hmm, better get this out of the way...
[ Copyright by Jim M. Pierce, 2004-2010. All Rights Reserved. ]

My first Christmas eve and day off in 5 years. So I decided to relax
a bit, well, some part of me is still driving off to eat supper at a
restaurant.

Anyway.

I wondered what the B-Movie monsters were up to. Hadn't heard much
from them recently.

So I wandered off to the B-Movie Monster Coffee Shoppe.

What ?! You never heard of it ?

Well, it does exist, but I don't know exactly where it is. The Muse
and I found it though.

Lets park here.

Go on, go ahead and I'll... okay, I'll go in alone. Its okay, they
are on holiday break.

So, I saunter in, wearing my fedora and trench coat. Jeans, brightly
colored beach shirt, and a pair of boots.

Gorgonzola, she is the head waitress, ignores me.

It gets quiet.

I say, "I'm just here for the coffee, no autographs..."

conversation resumes.

The Thing, just in from an expo in the Antarctic, glowers at me. I
ignore it.

Thats not the Addam's Family Thing, its the other Thing.

Place looks kinda gloomy. Yeah, I see it now that my eyes have
adjusted to the dark. Buncha monsters, all frowning and crying in
their coffee, or what ever it is they are drinking.

A few Christmas decorations. No stockings hung by the fireplace with
care though.

The waitress, you remember her ? Gorgonzola by name, says 'We aint
got no coffee for humans in here ! Buzz off !"

I reply, "I'm not doing anything but relaxing. I'll go in a few
minutes, just wanted a relief from the holidays."

You coulda heard a cricket chirp a trillion miles away.

"What ?"

Gorgonzola got real sad and said, "Honey, Santa don't stop here."

I was dumb founded. I mean, really !

"But uh..."

"No, he don't stop here. You think all of us don't know we are never
gonna get any presents ? We are the monsters of moviedom."

"damn... Wait, I'll be back in a few minutes."

So, I go back outside, hmm. certainly got cold all of a sudden.

Windy to. Cannot hardly get the flying carpet out of the trunk. I
manage it anyway.

So, how to catch Santa on the one night he is busy ?

Well, I'm not gonna tell ya how. But I manage it. Windy here abouts
for some reason.

I try to talk to him, but he pointedly looks at me then away and
never looks at me again.

So, I go to a toy store. Buy some gifts, get them wrapped.

I have to make a coupla trips. Carpet wasn't designed to carry that
much.

I bought a Santa hat.

Gave presents out to the monsters.

A small miniature village for a certain giant lizard, an Antarctic
adventure set for the Thing, a tall building toy to a certain big
ape, and so on.

I put up a small tree. Decorated it. Handed out the presents.

It all of a sudden got real quiet in the B-Movie Monster Coffee
Shoppe.

Santa was there watching me.

I handed him a newspaper, pointed to the photos of the damage done
to various places.

And asked, "You see any of these folks in those photos ? I don't."

And I continued handing out gifts.

He left.

But I did notice some gifts I hadn't bought being looked at and
played with by the B-Movie Monsters.

And there was a plate of cookies and milk on the counter, with my
name on it.

I nodded and said, kinda choked up, "thanks."

Gorgonzola smiled. A few of the monsters, well, the ones that could
speak words, said thanks.

I went out to the car. Muse wasn't there. Left me a note. "seems you
didn't need my help after all."

Well, maybe one of her sisters helped me.

I don't have any wonderous words or anything, so I'll just say

"A happy holiday, and a good night !"

[exeunt]