Santa's Gift Poem by Kewayne Wadley

There he sat,
Pale skin soaked in the sun.
Blue & green swim trunks.
The wind blew, bringing relief from the harsh sun.
Large beach balls thrown over the coconut crabs.
The waiter's that walked around, watching their step serving food and drinks
Following the trail of footprints left behind as the sun hid behind the horizon.
They sat and they watched.
As the foam from the ocean soaked a thin layer of the beach.
This Christmas he thought he'd do something different
as there was always one person on the nice list that was hard to shop for.
This Christmas he exchanged the reindeer for two plane tickets
A company of elves, small tourists with tiny bottles of sun screen.
Sunbaked skin and ice cold drinks.
There he sat along the edge of the beach
Toes covered in the sand.
Without heavy boots, insulated fleece, or lined gloves and under garments
This Christmas he thought he'd do something different
Never having the leeway of taking a vacation.
This year he thought he'd take his wife and go on vacation.
Never having the chance to unlace his boots
Indulging in the company of a loved one.
Rekindling the spark in their eyes from when they first met.
The sun shone off the reflection of his shades.
The only girl he's ever dreamed of,
Her one piece soaked from the spray of waves that crashed against her
Playing in the ocean.
Trails of fingers drawn in the sand, tracing hearts and each others name.
They took turns burying each other in the sand. Laughs echoing through out the air
Photographs to relive each moment, soon to hang upon the mantle.
The elves spread out, building sand castles. Hanging out in gift shops
Wake boarding with the dolphins shown on the brochure guide.
Some still sick from the plane ride over. Enjoying themselves in tropic climate
The smell of her perfume lingered in his beard. The kisses shared to and from that became the clouds that sailed along the sky
He brought but one bag with him on his trip.
Laced in the finest thread
And in that bag was a gift that weighed more than any gift that he had ever given
A token of appreciation of what their love meant.
As when she opened the box she had the biggest grin.
Looking at a collection of old withered movie tickets from when they first met
And The remote control to the televison and a fresh pack of batteries