All year long The house waits for Christmas Through candle-light, electric-light, Sun-light and moon-light, Through thunder-light, star-light Twilight and fire-light: The house silently waits. Wrapping paper gethers dust In the gloomy basement Tinsel and pine needles Sleep on the wooden floor Of the windowless attick Antique bulbs rest easy with The time-worn angel The lady of the house is old; She sleeps in the day-time And remembers when her children were young In the long wait for Christmas.