The Shopping Squirrel

A blustery wind, the chilly air
Outside the shopping mall
A little squirrel wished he could share
The spirit of it all

There was a Santa by the door
And rang a tiny bell
And yet another in the store
To help the vendors sell

A chatting group, a human stream
Went in and out the door
A balmy breeze as in a dream
There had to be some more

He waited ’till a lady passed
Then used her coat to hide
And in its shade he scuttled fast
‘Till they were both inside

He quickly hid behind the Claus
And spied inside his sack
Then sprang right in to take a pause
And see about a snack

It was quite black and lacked in food
But soft and snug for sure
When suddenly the sack did move
And off he went on tour

It was a somewhat bumpy ride
As Santa trotted by
The well stocked shelves on either side
The junk piles, people buy

There was a hole inside the sack
That gave the squirrel a view
Through hoards of humans on a track
He saw a world so new

Enormous trees with glitzy lights
And music in the air
Confusing smells, perfumed delights
A shopping crazed affair

A little boy with candy cane
Complained and threw a fit
He wanted cars and model trains
But mom did not commit

To buying stuff she did not need
She rushed to buy a fur
To look quite plush and full of greed
A shoppaholic blur

The Santa moved past windows bright
Where people stood in line
To buy a beanie toy, a fight
Broke out as all screamed “mine”

Then suddenly the Santa stopped
Before a food court swell
The little squirrel crawled out and flopped
Beside a tasty smell

A French fry lay upon the floor
A pretzel stick, a bun
The squirrel, he couldn’t ask for more
How tasty and what fun

He skipped between the moving hoards
Was seen but who would care
He cleaned the floors inside the court
And got the lion’s share

When he was full, he felt not right
And thought he might be sick
He found a bag and crawled inside
Then waited for Saint Nick

He did not come, but what a ride
A lady puffed and coughed
Through stores and stores until the night
The ride, it wasn’t soft

Then finally, midst Christmas cheer
She found the parking lot
She unloaded her shopping gear
And found the little tot

She screamed and stepped upon his tail
The wrapping paper flew
She slammed the trunk and looked quite pale
And tossed a spike heeled shoe

The squirrel, he ran with all his might,
Into the pitch black park
Far, far away from Christmas lights
Into the quiet dark

He found his nest and went to sleep
His rest was filled with mares
Of shopping bags and fatty meals
Of seasonal affairs.