Below, you will find a selected poem from Along Life's Path.
The poem is entitled The Thoughts of a House Fan.

In The Spirit

He rings his silver bell through the day,
with a fire engine kettle on the side;
in the cold winds and falling snow,
his cheerful smile never seems to change.
Every morning, he displays his sign,
“Please give” welcomes the passers by;
with courtesy, he tips his blue cap
to anyone who drops a coin.

Sometimes its minutes, maybe an hour
before the sound of change hits the pot.
Yet, he stands steadfast in position,
just in case someone feels generous.
Many people ignore his ringing,
some signal with an obscene gesture;
the volunteer shakes his bewildered head,
what happened to their compassion?

Evening approaches with the closing store
as the bell ringer shuts down his stand,
counting the dollars and change collected,
before making his way to his car.
While counting his total, a stranger appears,
wearing the costume of old Saint Nick,
placing inside a weathered envelope
without halting in his steady stride.

The bell ringer peers at the amount,
a thousand dollars paid to his cause.
Racing to catch up to the stranger,
he thanked him and asked him why.
“I work this job during the day,
and I see you out there no matter what.
Consider this as a gift my son,
for giving is the true spirit of Christmas.”