SMILES FROM STRANGERS

Written for Lexi's Poetry Challenge using one of her Title Prompts

SMILES FROM STRANGERS

The city lights were twinkling bright
and the stores were open wide,
waiting for the late night shoppers
and welcoming them all inside.

Shoppers hurried down the aisles,
shopping carts were filling up fast;
My feet were getting weary and
I wasn't sure that I would last.

It took the smiles from strangers
to get me through the long night,
giving me the Christmas spirit -
Everything would be all right!

Teddy bears in rocking chairs,
talking dogs and singing bears
soon had me smiling too -
forgetting all my many cares.

I pushed every "try me" button
just to hear what they sang or said
but then I saw people watching me
and oh, my face got really red!

Then their smiles lit up the night
and they were not strangers anymore,
just folks like me who like to see
what Christmas has in store.

My cart soon filled with presents
and I joined the long slow line;
by the time I got back home again
I was feeling mighty fine!

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11/17/06