HOLIDAY TRAVELS

We primped and prepped 
For holiday events
That came
Rocked and rolled
Then left so fast – 
    to the last tree needle swept

I decided to examine where they went

The white Christmas which arrived on cue
Took five when warm winds and rains
Sent snowmen, in a panic, running
To
    the
        city’s
            drains,
Their graveyard of arm litter

                u
Sticking    p 

In the little snow that remained

Our out-of-town revelers traveled
Once the holidays died 
Back home, the phone verified
Their colds, flu and holiday blues
Had hitch-hiked to make new friends 

Holiday foods, once so proud
Are now huddled in the cold
Their trip to the disposal
Delayed a day or two

And those festive wrappings and bows?
In the basement, stowed
Or led to the curb, awaiting years        
Of breaking down barriers
with new landfill neighbors

The tree, undressed
Was let free, free to be
 A green recyclee                                        

But there the trails...begin to fade                                     

Interpretations made
About Christmas,
Hidden in memories diverse,
Left when our visitors Dispersed                                                                   
 
And somewhere, misplaced,
Is my taste 
For outrageous
Holiday decor

Dennis R. Keefe
February 26, 2009