It was Christmas Eve when we met;
with nothing but a single glance,
desire overcame my fret
as she graced me with our first dance. 

Under the lamplight we were one;
her fingers intertwined with mine,
this was our only night to shine,
but the end would come with the sun.

“I’m in love with you” she whispered to me;
my heart leapt and sunk before her.
Painfully I said, “Please don’t be,”
for of our love I was not sure. 

Our words hung amidst the snowflakes;
the tension grew but not the cold.
In my arms, she did not shiver,
but the truth forced us to quiver.

She was an angel of the snow
who left when the clock struck midnight.
To Christmas time our love I owe;
only once could our love burn bright. 

“We have no future! Can’t you see?”
“But aren’t we together today?”
“You belong to God, not to me.”
“Why must you keep our love at bay?”

Our words began to prick like ice,
colder than the frost that now formed.
Could I avoid paying the price,
or would I have to face a storm? 

The storm was her impulsive act;
she pulled me into a long kiss.
With electricity in me,
all reason melted into bliss. 

I was drowning in desire,
wishing for the night to not end.
Feeling her touch took me higher;
if she left me, would my heart mend?

As our lips finally parted,
I held a wild look in my eyes.
For my heart was left unguarded,
free from the restraint of my lies.

With that she dissolved before me,
melting with the mist completely.
This was to come ultimately,
yet my rage I could not control. 

As I stepped forth to hold her back,
my limbs started to turn to stone.
Though I feared my heart would soon crack,
I trusted I was not alone.

***

Such goes the myth of Christmas night.
A statue dances with Angels,
as it snows beneath the lamplight.
An eternal love lives in them,
 truly a Christmas miracle.

By NEEL MUKHOPADHYAY
Staff Writer