Garth Rattray | Yule Train

The Yuletide season is upon us once again. Every year it comes around faster than the year before. Some people love the Yuletide season because this is when they earn a living. Others love it because they look forward to the church services and events that bring people of like mind together. Some love it for the family and social gatherings, and the sharing of gifts. Others love it for the time away from stress and work; it’s a chance to catch their breath before the coming of the new year.

Some people ignore and even bash the season because it began as a pagan holiday but was hijacked by Christendom as a convenience in order to celebrate the birth of Jesus (the Christ). Others hate it because they see it as hypocrisy. They believe that we should show love and kindness to everyone, all the time and not reserve them for Christmas. Others despise it because it has become a commercial entity that even recruited a large imaginary elf to carry gifts to children around the globe within a few hours. Now Santa’s claws are in everything.

Then there are people who are very saddened, or even depressed by the Yule season for several reasons. They may have lost a loved one or be separated from loved ones during this time. They may have had a romantic disappointment during the season. They may be unable to celebrate due to ill health. Many are not able to fully participate or benefit because they are poor or without financial resources (disposable income) to spend as they would like to. Yuletide always arrives like a powerful train.

 

The Yule Train comes only once

each year

It should be filled with love and

cheer

Loaded with kindness in every car

Travelling through lands both near

and far.

It rushes in, from out of the blue

But it benefits only a relative few

It’s become a powerhouse with

commercial pedigree

Extracting money from you and me.

 

Gone are the days of worship and

praise

Now they’re relegated to a minor

phase

It’s parties and drinking and

dancing and such

About the Saviour, they don’t care

much.

 

Love and thanksgiving are left

behind

It’s a tedious search those things

to find

Hustle and bustle are the order of

the day

You can’t escape the rush, try as

you may.

 

From small to large businesses, you

will view

Pickpockets and gunmen and

scammers, too

All want to ‘eat a food’ at this time

Whether by begging, selling or

committing crime.

 

The stores are teeming with people,

but you see

Nothing is being given away,

nothing is for free

The spending frenzy peaks this time

of the year

To pay their bills, people will wait

without a care.

 

Traffic piles up from shore to hill

We can’t get anywhere, everything

stands still

Pushing and shoving and boring

and more

The rampant indiscipline cuts to

the core.

 

Where’s the Christmas spirit, so

frequently vaunted?

It’s dampened, suppressed and

heavily daunted

By the spectre of crime that’s

everywhere

We try to celebrate but there’s

always fear.

 

There are people who are longing

to eat

Some of the goodies, a Christmas treat

No gifts can they give, and none

to receive

No fun, no good times, all they do

is grieve.

 

The Yule Train goes by them,

mocking their pain

It jerks, groans and lurches under

the strain

Of a facade of prosperity, happiness

and glee

To make great memories for you

and for me.

 

Oh for a train that comes by every

day

To give to the poor and with them

stay

For hours on end and to all impart

Kindness and true love to

everyone’s heart.

Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com.