Conrad's Christmas Day

It happened one day at the year's white end
Two neighbours called on an old time friend,
And they found his shop so meagre and mean
Made bright with a thousand boughs of green,
And Conrad was sitting with face ashine
When he suddenly stopped as he stitched a twine
And said, Old friends, at dawn today
When the rooster was crowing the night away,
The Lord appeared in a dream to me
And said, I am coming your guest to be.
So I've been busy with feet astir,
Strewing my shop with branches of fir.
The table is spread and the kettle is shined
And over the rafter the holly is twined.
And now I will wait for my Lord to appear,
And listen closely so I will hear
His step as He nears my humble place
And I open the door and look in His face.

So his friends went home and left Conrad alone
As this was the happiest day he had known,
For long since his family had all passed away
And Conrad had spent many a sad Christmas day.
But he knew with the Lord as his Christmas guest
This Christmas would be the dearest and best.
So he listened with only joy in his heart
And with every sound he would rise with a start
And look for the Lord to be standing there
In answer to his real earnest prayer.
So he ran to the window on hearing a sound
But all that he saw on the snow covered ground
Was a shabby beggar with shoes outworn,
And all of his clothes were tattered and torn.
Then Conrad was touched and went to the door
And said, Your feet must be frozen and sore,
But I have some shoes in my shop just for you,
And a coat that will keep you much warmer too.

So with grateful heart the man went away.
But as Conrad noticed the time of day
He wondered what made the dear Lord so late,
And how much longer that he'd have to wait.
Then he heard a knock and ran to the door,
But it was only a stranger there once more.
A bent old woman with shawl of black,
And a bundle of sticks piled up on her back.
She asked only for a place to rest
But that was reserved for Conrad's great guest.
Then her voice seemed to plead, Don't send me away.
Let me rest for a while on this Christmas day.
So Conrad made soup and gave her a cup
And told her to sit at the table and sup.

Then after she left he was filled with dismay
For he saw that the hours were passing away,
And the Lord had not come, as he said he would,
And Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood.
When out of the stillness he heard a cry,
Please help me and tell me, where am I?
So again he opened his friendly door
And stood disappointed as twice before.
It was only a child who had wandered away
And was lost from his family that Christmas day.
Again Conrad's heart was heavy and sad
But he knew he should make this little child glad.
So he called him in and wiped his tears
And quieted all his childish fears,
Then led him back to his home once more.

But as he entered his own darkened door
He knew that the Lord was not coming today,
For the hours of Christmas had all passed away.
So he went to his room and knelt down to pray
And he said, Dear Lord, why did you delay?
What kept you from coming to call on me,
For I so much wanted your face I could see?
When soft in the silence a voice he heard.
Lift up your head, for I kept my word.
Three times my shadow crossed your floor.
Three times I came to your lonely door.
For I was the beggar with bruised, cold feet.
I was the woman you gave something to eat.
And I was the child on the homeless street.

-- Helen Steiner Rice