[A collection of poems I wrote in first grade for my parents. They’ve since been updated with proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Happy holidays!]


Gumdrop,
candy cane,
Christmas time
is not the same.
This holiday
is sure to blame,
sweetest treat
of the seasons.
Joy for every
reason.

Snowflake,
snowflake,
snowflake fall,
I don’t think
it will stop at all.
Snow topples down,
down,
down,
fall.

Gold and purple,
green and blue,
wrapping all these gifts
is not fun to do.
Wrapping frenzy,
bows and tags,
tape and scissors,
strings and flags.

Oak and maple
don’t appeal,
their leaves and buds
all barely feel.
Above them all
the green king stands,
doing the best
a pine tree can.

Hot cocoa
goes so slow,
it stays hot
so long.
Hot cocoa loco,
listen to
my song.
Hot cocoa,
watch it go,
watch it go.

Pinch of sugar,
candy-sweet,
how I love you,
cookie kid.
Gingerbread,
how good you smell,
Oh,
I feel
so very well.
When you bake
from shining lump,
you spice the air
and tastebuds pump.
Gingerbread,
you’re never bad,
you make me feel
so very glad.

Candy canes hang
from branches,
ornaments glow.
Reindeer fly
right on by,
snowballs hit you
in the eye.

Ho ho ho,
don’t you know,
just how far
that Santa goes?
From Tokyo
to old New York,
Santa Claus
is fast
for a pork.

A hat goes on my head,
I don’t sleep in a bed,
I sit out on your lawn,
in summer I am gone.
What am I?
A snowman!

Ring ring,
ting ting,
jingalingaling,
come and sing,
bells ring.

Fruitcake,
the horror,
a holiday mess.
Slice it up,
throw it up,
raw
fruity
blob.

My mom stuffed on
my mittens
and the hat
that didn’t fit,
then I knew it—
snow day!
No day
is the same way
as a cold day.

Hoof print
in the snow,
look how fast
they go.
Watch them fly,
why can’t I try?
Reindeer,
fly away.

Couzin Iz
ate too much fizz,
Uncle Urkey
ate too much turkey.
I’m on top
of the plate,
and I stuffed
the rest.

My clothes are soggy,
and boy,
is it foggy.
That means that Christmas
is here,
sleigh bells ring
and carolers sing,
Merry Christmas
to you.

Candy canes are red,
the sky is ice-blue,
I hope you don’t step
in that frozen dog doo.

© Katherine Steffeter