Street Corner Elf
A Magical Holiday Tale of the Spirit of The Season
It had been another long and grueling day at the office. The weather had turned cold with a hint of winter in the air. As I turned the corner and headed towards the subway entrance, a familiar sound rang through the canyons of the tall city buildings. I could hear faint choruses similar to those of a friendly stranger that had graced the streets of our city for the past few seasons. The uplifting melodies seemed to be coming from around the next street corner. I stopped in my tracks, and a warm feeling took hold of me and caressed my tired soul. The mysterious melody pulled at me like a magnet, as I walked past the subway entrance. My pace quickened and my steps became light as a feather as I rounded the next corner, and there he was.
It had been a year since I had heard those friendly musical lyrics. It had been a year since I had seen that warm smiling face. It had been a year since I had felt his gaze; and, as he saw me approaching the crowd that had started to gather around him, he peered at me and gave me another one of his winks that somehow pulled all of the wonderful childhood feelings and passions out of me in an instant. My boyish dreams and all of the glistening tales of my past were captured in his eyes as he smiled at me, gave me another wink, closed his eyes, leaned his head back, threw out his arms, and continued to spill out his joyous Christmas song at the top of his lungs.
His chorus rang high through the building tops and swiftly danced amongst the chilled evening breeze. Like a treasured family ornament hanging on a Christmas tree, he made his way into my heart and wrapped his magical words around my spirit. His pointed ears, pointed shoes, and rosy cheeks graced all those who gathered at the street corner to listen to his song. Standing atop his familiar soap box, he was dressed in the same wardrobe as last year, with candy cane pants, a green thermal shirt with snowflakes that seemed to come alive with dance, and a red vest adorned with eight tiny reindeer. Topping it off was that unmistakable shiny gold hat with silver bells that rang out in rhythm with his song. With age in his eyes, along with a youthful smile, he graced us all with a wintery mix of holiday handfuls of seasonal samples that told the story of the true meaning of this very special time of year.
Tis the season my little elfish fellow. Tis the season when the echoes of your message ring true and free. Tis the season indeed to celebrate this timeless gift of life bursting out from within your shining soul.
I stood and listened to his hypnotic tales and mesmerizing cheer for what seemed an hour and a day, not caring that I would be late for this, or that, or any other thing. Time seemed to stand still, as the sparkle in his eye and the comfort in his joy pulled tightly on my childhood memories, along with the innocence and faith in the magic of Christmas.
As I gazed at my watch, I noticed I was late once again, but none of that seemed to matter, for his spirit of song was gently holding back the hands of time. I held my briefcase tightly under one arm, as my other arm carefully wrapped itself around the Christmases of my past.
As he spun his wondrous web of magical holiday music, I looked at the faces of the crowd that had gathered around this small singing stranger. With eyes as wide as their smiles inside, the onlookers seemed captivated in spirit and completely overcome with his symphony of holiday cheer. His mystical spell on the crowd was outdone only by the brightness of the night, for it was a starry night indeed, full of wondrous light, as the sky shimmered and came alive with his song.
As I finally turned to leave, the memories from Christmases past continued to fill my mind. I was flooded with love, faith, family and hope as I reached the next street corner. I turned to look back, and I could see the little fellow as he peeked out of the crowd that still surrounded him and waved goodbye to me. Brimming from ear to ear, I waved back, turned the corner, and headed for the subway once again.
The songs of this Christmas Elf continued to rush through me as I sat completely consumed, while the train pulled me towards home. Station after station I was flooded with images of family and love and a complete feeling of soothing warmth that wrapped its arms around me. His simple and pure gift of holiday hope and seasonal faith stayed with me through the entire holiday season along with images of his elfish smile and those eyes that came alive and sparkled with the magic of Christmas.
Fa-la-la my little street corner Elf. May your chorus of happiness and holiday cheer ring through the year, until we all hear your carolous call once again.
Merry Christmas to you all, and May God bless each and every one of you. May all your days be merry, and your stockings be filled with the brightness and the joy of the Christmas Elf.
DP Lyons
Surviving 