A Green Christmas

The Early Years... A Poem

Many miles far north of where you're from,
There is a small town that is far from glum.
Whytown is the name of this festive land,
And it was put on the map because of one man.

Nobody knew where he came from when he arrived,
But the furry little creature was found barely alive.
When Roscoe and Clara Barrett found him alone
They welcomed him inside and raised him as their own.

Seeing how their adoptee had no name tag seen,
They named the child "Oran" meaning both "light" and "Green."
Though they tried to raise him like other Whytown kids.
His name and fur made other folks rub their eyelids.

He thought that his life would be a breeze, sad but true.
But no matter what he did, school bullies said "Ewww!"
Despite all their teasing, Oran tried to stay strong,
Sadly, his temper wouldn't stay down very long.

You see, every Christmas season was loaded with cheer,
With insane parties and smiles growing from ear to ear.
Despite the teasing that frustrated him to tears,
Oran enjoyed the season for most of his childhood years.

When his fifth-grade class had a big Christmas party,
Each child brought gifts for everyone, plain or arty.
After handing out gifts he made in Roscoe's shop,
Oran's giving mood would soon come to a full stop.

Cornelius Why-Me was his class bully's name,
And being mean to Oran was his claim to fame.
He always laughed and called Oran a hairy kid,
So his gift for him? A razor under the lid.

Despite years of brushing off negativity,
This gift was the last straw for Oran from Why-Me.
His growing sneer filled Cornelius up with glee,
But he stopped smiling when Oran wrecked the class' tree.

The tree was just a start, as all baubles became
Like snowballs that he threw, not showing any shame.
By that time, everyone else in the class had fled,
For the little green being was now seeing red.

Still in frustration, Oran shoved into a sack
All his school supplies, knowing that he wouldn't be back.
He then stuffed his gifts in there and left out the door,
Screaming as he hiked away 'til his throat was sore.

"I hate Christmas! Christmas is for meanies!" he cried
As he trudged past home to the distant mountainside.
When Roscoe and Clara tried to keep him at home,
He packed his things and ran away, yearning to roam.

The two of them were sad to see him go away,
But they saw Whytown was no place for him to stay.
And as he left towards the mountains capped with snow,
Their hearts ached like parents' would as they watched him go.

Many years passed since then, and wouldn't you know?
Oran's outburst in school made his infamy grow.
Instead of Oran Barrett, his name went through a change.
He was now known as the Winch, a creature wicked and strange.

Since Whytown last seen the Winch, 20 years passed by,
And whenever a visitor found their way into the town of Why,
The word on every lip was "There's a monster in the hills!"
Which was guaranteed to give any visitor the chills.