His Christmas Carol (Poetry)

The house was empty
we all knew it had
been empty for years
since old man Sykes died
leaving the house and

everything in it
to his nephew who
was living somewhere
in America
and rumour had it

he was far too rich
and far too busy
to be bothered with
a quaint little house
in far-off England

Then, one Christmas Eve
on the way home from
town, I saw a light
glowing in that house
and crept up the path

Faint but clear, old Sykes
former choirmaster
of St Mary’s was
singing “Oh little
town of Bethlehem ...”