Santa Clause

Agios Nikolaos
"victory of the people"




He had a reputation for secret
gift-giving, such as putting coins
in the shoes of those who left
them out for him,

The name “Santa Claus” is a
meta-thetical diminution of
“Saint Nicholas,” patron saint
of sailors, merchants, archers,
children, and students.

(Say Saint Nicholas fast four times and
hear how it becomes sanny claus. That’s
called metathesis by the linguists.)

Another legend tells how a terrible
famine struck the island and a
malicious butcher lured three little
children into his house, where he
slaughtered and butchered them,
placing their remains in a barrel to
cure, planning to sell them off as ham.

Saint Nicholas, visiting the region
to care for the hungry, not only
saw through the butcher's horrific
crime but also resurrected the three
boys from the barrel by his prayers
{WikiP]

I’ve believed in the Santa Clause all
my natural born life, damnit. Oh sure:
I dropped the tubby- buddy image way
back, but the idea that:
if I’m a good boy & better watch out
better not pout:
then: presents! Not coal.

But also & at the same time, I can see
why Jehovah’s Witnesses dump this
half-assed notion. No Santa
Clause-ania for them.

Santa Clause on the one hand.
No, Sammy: there IS no Santa
Clause on the other hand.

2 hands.Two profound truths?
Does one win, the other lose?
Do I neutralize & compromise?
& manufacture the sound of only
one hand clapping?

This is a dialectical deal: thesis &
anti-thesis—bring IT on. Got to
love the opposition Don’t let either
win but don’t diminish either either.

I expect synthesis & not metathesis:
anticipate a ismall apo-calypse and
revelation. Game of games. Play &
Be Played.

How wonderful that we have met with
a paradox. Now we have some hope of
making progress. The opposite of a
profound truth is another profound truth;
says Neils Bohrr, & the opposite of a
trivial truth is a contradiction.

Fictions to live by.

“The wealth of the universe is for me.
Every thing is explicable and practical
for me .... I am defeated all the time;
yet to victory I am born.”
Emerson.

So beloved is St. Nicholas by Russians,
one commonly heard saying is "if God
dies, at least we'll still have St. Nicholas."
[WikiP]