In a land where snow should fall,
On a Christmas day, unusual,
A tale unfolds, both strange and bright,
Under sunny skies, a curious light.

A beautiful day, like any other,
Yet, sunshine felt like a bother.
For I, who had fled to distant lands,
Far from loved ones, in distant sands.

No stockings hung, no tree adorned,
No carols sung, no gifts adorned.
A solitary figure, a soul in flight,
Away from joy, on that holy night.

Not because of mischief or any misdeed,
For A's adorned my academic creed.
Well-behaved, yet far from home,
In solitude, I chose to roam.

Merry wishes echoed from afar,
Yet, I had to be the wishing star.
No greetings came unless I sent,
A bittersweet moment of discontent.

A package arrived, a gift to hold,
A gray shirt, pants, and shoes of bold.
Unusual, yet a token of grace,
In the absence of a familiar embrace.

Oh, how this Christmas, a paradox,
A day of glory, in unconventional stocks.
Not what I sought, nor what I craved,
Yet, gratitude in my heart engraved.

For in tradition, my focus lies,
Not on Santa's gifts or worldly ties.
But on a babe, in a manger laid,
The Savior born, a debt repaid.

Though distant, my heart finds peace,
In the story that will never cease.
A birth divine, a love so true,
Christmas is Christ, and Christ is you.

No sadness lingers, no tear is shed,
For in Christ's love, my soul is fed.
So, let the sun shine on this day,
In its own way, a glorious display.

In the absence of what I thought I'd miss,
I find joy in the Savior's bliss.
A Christmas, unlike any before,
A tale of grace, forevermore.