A Christmas Casualty

The manager spotted a stranger
walking the aisles with care
he saw a look upon his face;
an expression of despair

Somehow the man seemed dismal
in the midst of holiday joy
How could this shopper be so glum
when surrounded by many a toy?

The clerk then watched in wonder
as the man walked through the store
What was this shopper doing?
What could he be looking for?

Then the man stopped in his tracks
before the small nativity
and a teardrop fell upon his cheek
with an air of dignity

A look of desolation
had washed o'er his face
as he watched each shopper grab for more
and to the register race

And then a sudden sale
was announced throughout the store
People rumbled carelessly,
and the air began to roar

The store clerk looked into the crowd
to find the stranger's eyes
yet the only thing that he could see
were ribbons, bows, and ties

Who was this man, whose body was found
upon the floor that night?
And why had he come, if not to buy?
What goal had he in sight?

No family came to mourn his death
no friends or loved ones cried
He seemed to be abandoned
unloved and cast aside

The examiner determined
he'd been trampled in the craze
His flesh was torn and battered
by the shoppers' frantic ways

The store clerk stood in mystery
next to the Christmas crib
He could not find a reason for the knife wound
upon the stranger's ribs

Suddenly, the employee knew
and no longer could resist
the love of the man dead at his feet
with wounds upon each wrist.