The Grinch ...

It's not that I don't like Christmas a lot

It's that I'm not fond of all the stuff that is sought:

The balls and the bells and the ding-a-ling-lings

The battery toys and the soap pump that sings.

Plug-ins for this and batteries for that

Blow-up Snowmen, Santas, and reindeer at that!

The stuff in my basement is just as bad

It's been there forever, a coming-out to be had.

It wants to escape and clutter up my shelves

The doo-dads and thing-a-ma-bobs

That think they are elves.

Well, elves they are not, and out they must go

To somebody else

To their shelves

Or to stow.

It's not that I don't like Christmas a lot

It's just that I'm sick of the stuff that is not

(to my liking)

Like the red plastic bells and the ratty old greens,

The Santas, the stockings, the broken light strings.

The red and green boxes are packed with such things

And now is the time for it all to take wing!

I feel like the Grinch who has cleared Christmas cheer

And shoved up the chimney everything that is dear,

But I'm  thinking it is not that the stuff is so good,

But the stuff is just stuff, and I'm misunderstood.

It's love that makes Christmas so merry and bright

And the stuff doesn't matter compared to the Light

Of the One who was born on that First Christmas night.

So up the chimney goes stuff

Up, up, up and away!

I'm clearing away Christmas,

so don't get in my way.

It's just that I need a little less obstruction

To make room for the Love-in-the-Heart Construction

So up the chimney goes stuff

Up, up, up and away!

I'm clearing my heart

To make room today

For the Love that makes Christmas merry and bright,

For the One who was born on that First Christmas night.

"Joy to the world the Lord is come

Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare Him room...."

~Joy to the World