Thursday, December 20, 2007

Christmas Greetings from Gagliardi


The Magic of Christmas

“Don’t tell me there is no Santa Claus”
For if it were left up to me
There most certainly would be
No one would be forgotten or left out
Every single person on the planet would know
Without a doubt
What the magic of Christmas is really about
And of course it’s about giving gifts – no, no, no, no not those
Not the ones all wrapped and shiny, that sparkle and glow
They’re pretty and pleasant, I know
But gifts like that – well, they’re really for show
But it’s the kind you can’t make in a factory or sew
Or put in box or buy in a store (Do I sound like Seuss-sayer?)
Well, here’s another rhyme more
No, the sort that I mean don’t cost a dime
Maybe some effort, some thought – a little bit of time
On second thought these are things
Even Santa couldn’t pack
Not the sort of presents you can put in a sack
Peace, love, hope, forgiveness, warm embraces
True gifts that all our “hustling and bustling” often replaces
While we blithely ignore all of God’s amazing graces
And miss the magic, which is there
As precious as the words of a little one’s simple prayer
For you see we have to pause
And like a child who still believes in a Santa Claus
Receive a gift that prompts such wild surprise
That our hearts are full of joy, there’s delight in our eyes
And as we stand back in awe and ask,
“Did you bring that for me?
Recalling a holy night, alive once again
A baby born in a stable, in a place called Bethlehem
Starlight and shepherds and angels singing — peace, goodwill to men
Gifts to the world from the Father above
Not illusions or sleight of hand but real magic, borne out of love
Wrapped up in redemptive ribbons reminding us of
The grace and the glory, the sacrifice and the story
The miracle, the majesty, the mystery
As in wide-eyed wonder
We fall under the spell
Transformed by the Magic of Christmas

George Gagliardi, December, 2007

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving?


Thanksgiving? Hold on now – I fear you’ve made a dreadful mistake
Thanksgiving’s in November – don’t you remember?
And this is Spring for heaven’s sake
No, I’m perfectly aware of where I am and when it is
But frankly my friend it seems to me, yes it seems to be
Most appropo’ to crow a bit, to show a bit of genuine gratitude
A heaping helping of “I’m so overjoyed” attitude because if the story’s true
If he did what he said he’d do, if it’s not just a pipe dream wrapped in stain glass
If it really happened, if it truly came to pass –
That God grabbed Death by its big bad self
And kicked him squarely in the …
Well, let’s not be crass
Then it’s time for a party and plenty of reason to party hearty
It’s a day for thanksgiving, a day to be living with hope and not fear
The Son has risen, the darkness gives way to light
The bad guys don’t get to run the town forever
Sure they may put up a good fight
But guess Who gets the final word?
Assuring us that goodness will persevere
And why? Do I speak of “pie in the sky”?
Of some “sweet by and by” while we weep and we try
To merely survive – Am I just clinging to
A wonderful myth, not worth fooling with
Is it all just a lie?
Can’t answer for you or anyone else
I’m doin’ real well to try and speak for myself
Can’t prove my belief with a test tube or graph
I wasn’t’there on that day and there’s no photograph
Is it logic to buy this business of resurrection?
Let’s put it in under a microscope
For a much closer inspection
Then again, what’s the point,
Though it strikes us as more than odd
For someone dead to be made alive again
Couldn’t the Creator of the Universe perform
A bit of hocus pocus – if God is really God?
Sure I know, you have your questions, I surely have mine
We all have misgivings and for me, that’s just fine
But I guess when I’ve run it through my brain
When I get to the “bottom line”
I’m here to say I believe it happened — that the Son rose again
And for me, that’s more than enough to suggest we all can join in
Giving thanks for this crazy, hard to believe, way-out, wonderful
Life changing, mind bending, faith stretching, heart stopping day
When God pulled more than a rabbit out of a hat
He brought Jesus out of the tomb – put his arm around him
And then they both went off to celebrate Easter together
So now that, for all of us, it’s Easter forever — (Happy Thanksgiving)

George Gagliardi, Easter, 2007