Lessons From A Foggy Eve
by Michael Doyle

I.

Up at the old North Pole
There's an awful lot of snow
There's something to this time of year
A time of hope and peace and good cheer

That is except for that year
Of the big snow that brought a new deer
Nine reindeer to pull a sleigh
Including Rudolph, who saved the day

A few years prior, Donner became a father
Proudly until he noticed something odder
That Rudolph had a very shiny nose
And what is it that you might suppose

That one does with that kind of a nose
The sort that stands out and brightly glows
When Santa came in for a quick peeking
There was no ignoring this blaring blinking

Breaking into a Christmas-y jingle
Santa taught Rudolph to be Team Kringle
Was a very special dash through the snow
All of its members were first in show

Building a smallish change into enormity
The Donners did their best to hid this non-conformity
Learning all the reindeer things of worth
Rudolph was taught to fear the Abominable of the North

There was a lot of gossip in toy making
About a certain elf who simply wasn't faking
His disdain for the shop in lieu of dentistry 
But, the story progresses and the rest is history

The world should be full of such misfits
The kind who know what they love and won't quit
Rudolph and Hermie would make their own way
Each of them born heroes and would have their day

Being pushed to conform and somehow fit in
Is not for all, and it is no way to win
And when we be ourselves, we just might find
Those that love us for us just do not mind

Magnificent in our own brand of happiness
Whatever comes our way despite the worse mess
And despite being called out with ugly names
And not being allowed to play reindeer games

When some of out of smallness, know only their preference
And cannot make any room for any sort of difference
Yet, there will be those like Clarisse who do and understand
And these are who matter and make our lives grand

Believe in your dreams come whatever just may
And maybe tomorrow will be your best day
It really doesn't matter what others might say
Hold onto your dreams and make your own special way

As long as it is that you never, ever quit
There's absolutely nothing wrong with being a misfit
Just beware of declaring yourself a stranger
The outside world is up to its eyeballs in danger

The howling winds can seem to blow down cold
When you go looking for your own kind of gold
Some only think and wish for silver and gold
Just as it is in that Christmas song of old

Christmas trees dress in their own shine
Decorations and tinsel set in a jangled line
Make for the sparkle of a Christmas sunrise
Waiting for the warmth of children's joyous eyes

II.

When you're prospecting your special dreams
As oddly different as life too often seems
Among your treasures, supplies and things
Should always be a set of guitar strings

Rather a Bomble, prospector, deer or elf
If you want to get there, then rely on yourself
The face of adversity must be met without dalliance
By relying on fast footwork and absolute brilliance

Set adrift in life sometimes without knowing
Where you're going and caught in all of that snowing
May seem precarious at our first glance
Maybe that's why only dreamers take this chance

While others worry at thoughts of being lost
The contrarians and dreamers willingly pay the cost
Until at last in our voyage we meet land-ho
Having suddenly realized where we wanted to go

Wherever we travel, there we most certainly are
This is most definitely true no matter or however far
Everywhere attuned to the key of this magic song
Is just where each finds our own place to belong

Coming close to whatever our tender hearts desire
We find ourselves driven by our inner most fire
But living things are not meant to ever be hidden
However, unwanted or even if we are forbidden

Even when deciding to strike it out alone
No person is an island with a heart made of stone
As we chase the circles of ever paying cost
We will pay any price and brave every deep frost

Even going as we will into caves of great fear
We are here to save each other and to persevere
Working together as one great, beautiful team
Is how it is to push each other in achieving dreams

Everyone has their own very special place
To keep a smile on each and every face
Reformed as we are to place a star on top the tree
There is where we find a place for you and for me

Life's storms come at us as these always will
With discouragements plenty and in great detail
As the fog rolls in with its breath of bad news
And Santa comes to tell it through Rudolph's red hues

When suddenly it is revealed in the precious light
Just how Rudolph's gift will help save that night
Such a wonder to behold is that special nose
Perfect for guiding through the fog as it glows

A holly, jolly Christmas was saved that long ago year
And the lessons given are in our need to persevere
Snow or not, we need to drink that cup of good cheer
Having the best Christmas, this and every year

The elves waltz in a slow standard three four time
Christmas having been saved from the worse of clime
No one and nothing is really ever a misfit
If only, we just don't ever allow ourselves to quit

This then is no kind of deep, dark mystery
As Rudolph's name went down that night in history
Offering its glowing needed lessons for us all
May it be that we cherish this and always recall

The story of Rudolph and Santa on that Christmas Eve
Hold onto your dreams and always, always believe
That whatever it is you've been given to conceive
If you believe in yourself, you'll surely achieve

(c) December 17, 2020  Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved