1) On the first day of Christmas, I placed the sole star on the pear tree as dust, 

Repainted the rooftops a dull reddish brown colour of rust, 

The air smelt metallic as Vaseline jars tended to our chapped lips,

The halls are decked with boughs of neon holly, ivy and sunshine, 



2) On the second day of Christmas, the bellies of runways, 

Were blessed with landing airplanes just like the two doves who bore peace, 

I woke up to the smell of curry and crow of three French hens on the third Yule day, 

Love came down on Christmas and joy came to us through salvation, 



3) On the fourth day, the jingle ball carnival soared on the air balloons of harmattan wind,

We listened as the four turtle doves belted chirpy melodies, 

Their carols formed the stairway to heavens with the mistletoe as its ladder, 

The fifth day bore five gold rings of the magi in the mailbox, 



4) The golden goose bore the glittering egg on the sixth day, 

A sign of prosperity for the New Year, 

We watched the swan slide gracefully in the glass lake that mirrored the starry sky, 

The eight milk maids gifted dairy hampers to the ones who didn’t have coins to buy any, 



5) The elegant ladies took the stage by storm and rivalled King David in delicate steps,

We who the Lord has blessed leapt into the New Year with rhythm and assurance, 

As the pipers blow the trombone to bring down old walls, 

And usher in a new beginning on the drum rolls of the gifted band boys. 

Biography:

Udochukwu Chidera also known as Chi Deraa is an award-winning writer, pharmacist and model. She won the 2022 Movement of the People Poetry Contest, first runner up in 2022 August/September Shuzia Songs of Praise contest, the bronze medal in the 2022 May/June Shuzia Prose contest, won first place in the May edition of the D’Lit Review poetry contest, the 2021 Deborah Itohan Poetry Prize and the 2021 School of Pharmacy UNIZIK Poetry Contest. She was also a top ten finalist in the 2021 Feb / March edition of the Brigitte Poirson Poetry Contest and a two-time finalist in the 2020 and 2021 Parousia Christmas Short Story Contest. She is also a finalist and contributor for the Marked Anthology, Valiant Scribe, Tush Magazine, Conscio Magazine, 2022 Chinua Achebe Essay and Poetry Anthology, Aayo Magazine, Writers Hangout Initiative.