The doorbell rang sharply I threw off my blanket by the door I answered to two high school kids "Could you donate to the poor?" "We're taking cans, and money" " clothing, gloves and jackets too" "Is it in your heart to help us" "can we get something from you?" I said "Come back tomorrow" "I'm a little short you see" "I'll be home from work directly" "You can come here after three" They smiled, "see you later" said the tall one with the hat "We'll be back again tomorrow" And I thought, that was that I closed the door behind them Went back and I sat down I was reading by the fireside Wrapped in an old dressing gown The heat was off in most rooms The house was small, and drafty too I had to heat it with the fire Or lose my heat all up the flue I had no cash for cable A computer? not a chance I could barely pay the mortgage I was in bad circumstance The job I'd had forever At least since I left school Was gone now, plant was shuttered They closed the old Majestic Tool Three hundred sixty workers Most had been there all their life As had been their fathers It's where I met my wife She left me when they closed up Got an offer to head west I told her take the offer I told her "I think it's for the best" She hasn't called in eighteen months I got the papers for divorce I figured, I can't afford to call her So, it's just par for the course I trip around the town by day Getting meals where they are free In a town as poor as we are It's not a real strange sight to see There is no work around here I'll have to move within a year If things don't soon get better I'll try to stay real close to here The morning after last night You know, the one I spoke about Where the kids came out collecting And I pretended I was out of food and cash and clothing didn't have a dime to spare I would have loved to help a little But I didn't really dare A can of food would last two days Spaghetti, maybe three Although IΒ Β wanted to contribute I need these things for me I went into the foodbank The morning after the night before I would get my Christmas hamper Along with others, walking poor I'd take it home, unpack it And when the kids came by at three I would give them, at least something My word meant a lot to me I didn't have a lot of things Not much was left at all But, my word, was worth a fortune I'd be there when they called In the back, out of my vision While I signed and took my box Was one of the two students Sorting through some coats and socks I took off with my treasure Set to donate when they came I was robbing Peter to pay Paul It was such a silly game The boy went to the counter He checked my address in the book He then went to see the head man He wanted him to take a look He told him of their visit How he recognized my face He realized how much it hurt me To be reliant on this place They talked about my visit And they saw my need was real And they talked amongst the others with elvish, Christmas zeal I was waiting for the doorbell Had two cans, and a small coat When the doobell rang, I answered There was four boxes and a note Vacant space, they must have run They had to be close by What I saw there boxed before me Well, it made this grown man cry Instead of coming for donations They knew how hard it was for me They had brought along some blankets And lots of food, for free I picked the note up gingerly I was still shaking from the tears It said "Merry Christmas Mr. Watson" "and Have a Happy, Safe New Year".