Papa Panov's Special Christmas Poem by Richard Burke

It was "sochelnik, " Christmas Eve,
In the tiny Russian town;
Excited children laughed and squealed:
Grandfather Frost will soon be ‘round.

Old Papa Panov was reminded,
By that happy, gleeful sound,
Of his children, when they were young,
And his wife, at rest in hallowed ground.

He was by nature a cheerful man;
Laughter wrinkles framed his eyes,
But spending Christmas all alone,
Brought sadness, tears and sighs.

Seeking comfort from his Bible,
He read of Mary turned away;
Of the stable where Joseph found shelter;
And the manger where their newborn lay.

"Oh, dear, oh, dear" cried Papa Panov,
"If only they'd come here!
I'd have gladly given them all I have! "
(That tender thought brought one last tear.)

Then he read about the Wise Men,
And the precious gifts they brought;
And feared he'd have no gift to give,
At least until he thought...

Of that small, dusty box he kept,
Which held a pair of baby shoes;
They were the very best he'd made;
The softest leather he'd ever used.

"Yes, that's what I would give to Him, "
Said Panov, nodding in his chair;
Then he slowly drifted off to sleep,
And dreamed that someone else was there!

He knew at once it must be Jesus,
And was shocked to hear Him say:
"Look for me tomorrow;
I'll visit you on Christmas Day."

"But I cannot tell you who I am,
You must look for me with care; "
But Panov knew without a doubt,
He'd know Lord Jesus anywhere.

Still, Panov wondered how He'd come:
Infant, Prophet, Priest or King;
But as foretold in last night's dream,
Of "How" he had not one inkling.

Panov woke to chiming bells,
Christmas Day had come at last;
He threw his shutters open-wide,
To study every face that passed.

Most people still lay in their beds,
And he saw just one old man,
Whose job it was to sweep the walks,
And cover each icy patch with sand.

The man looked cold and tired,
Numbed by the freezing mist;
"I have hot coffee, " shouted Panov
"Come in, I must insist! "

While the sweeper drank his coffee,
He noticed Panov's eyes would stray,
To the window on the street,
Which then led him to say...

"Are you expecting someone else,
At least that's how it seems; "
So, Panov told him of the "Special Guest, "
Who spoke to him in dreams.

"Well I hope he comes" the sweeper said;
"You've given me some Christmas cheer,
You deserve a dream come true;
And I feel that dream is near."

The sweeper then returned to work,
And Panov to his window seat;
But even looking with great care,
He once more saw an empty street.

But wait, he was mistaken,
There was a young girl there;
She seemed both cold and hungry,
The clothes she wore thread-bare.

She had a baby at her breast,
Swaddled in a shabby shawl;
"Come in, poor child, for warmth and rest;
There's Christmas porridge here for all."

"Sit by the fire and rest awhile,
And I will feed your child for you;
We once had babies of our own;
So, I know exactly what to do."

"I am a cobbler, " said Panov,
"And I see your child needs shoes;
I could quickly make her some,
In any style you choose."

"You are the kindest man, " she said;
"But I'm a widow on my own;
And have no money to buy shoes; "
She then let out the saddest moan.

"But in the village just ahead,
I hope I can find work,
And earn enough to care for us,
As family maid or small shop clerk."

Panov thought of that box he had;
That held those perfect baby shoes,
He could only give them once,
And now he'd have to choose!

Would he save them for Lord Jesus?
He weighed that thought a bit;
Then put them on the baby's feet,
And found they were a perfect fit!

The baby cooed, the young girl smiled,
And in her heart she knew;
Whatever Panov's Christmas wish,
It was certain to come true.

Panov, himself, was not that sure!
He feared he might have missed his guest;
He looked for Him on every street;
But that proved a fruitless quest.


It was now dusk, the streets were full,
But every face he saw he knew;
They wished each other Merry Christmas,
And Happy New Year, too.

Then he came upon some beggars;
All standing in a group;
And rushed back home to get each one,
A slice of bread and bowl of soup.

Dusk now turned to dark of night,
And Panov trudged back to his home;
He never saw his "Special Guest, "
And once again was all alone.

"So, it was just a dream" he thought,
As he sat down in his chair;
But as he'd sensed the night before,
He was sure that someone else was there!

This was no dream, he was awake;
But he couldn't believe his eyes:
Sweeper, Baby, Girl and Beggar,
Each one was Jesus in disguise!

Then Jesus came to him and said:
"Old Papa Panov can't you see?
I didn't come one time, but three! "

I was cold and you warmed me;
I was naked and you clothed me;
I was hungry and you fed me.

"In doing this unto the least of mine,
You did it unto me."



Based on the short story "Papa Panov's Special Christmas" written in French by Ruben Saillens; translated into English by Leo Tolstoy; retold as a poem by Richard Burke