December 8: All the Trimmings

A box of tchotchkes spans my whole existence-

Some catch the light, some catch the memory,

And with the added benefit of distance,

Popsicle sticks and yarn transcend the twee.

Worn velvet and sun-blanched construction papers

Seen through nostalgia-clouded oculi,

Will conjure thoughts of past tree-stealing capers,

Lengthy and chilly roadside standings by.

So why, if all the thoughts are cheerful ones

Appropriate to holiday tradition,

Does melancholy sit upon the fun

And try to force the joy into submissi...