Holy Mess

The tip of the fur tree sticks out like a sore candle Barely visible an angel drowns in a pileup of presents Fortunately wrappers and cards are bio-degradable Each allocated their circumspect place for recycling Ribbons find rest in a manger on top of Baby Jesus Who awaits resurrection just breathing under the load Season’s decorations sum up the festival of love Finely crafted dollar signs meet the cherishing eyes Wooden ornaments of cross bows and skull bones Defiled grave stones miniscule reminders of peace Guns and roses entwining unmistakeable messages Thorns are forever and tiny bullets shine like tinsel Mesmerized the young family looks at their gifts No plastic in sight because this is a sustainable feast Chocolate Santas jingle silent nights on Kalashnikovs Pinocchio attempts to rescue the meaning of kindness Slides down the chimney on Rapunzel’s delicate hair Gets ditched in a trench of poppies bloody like wine A veiled little figure begs for mercy at the Jolly Inn Which looks like a shopping mall that hails indigestion Jojos powered by solar eclipses arrest in full flight But the children are happy as long as they get a drone To spread holy prophesies in the name of liberation From infidel contamination of pagans soldiering on Jonny plays with the cardboard crates not quite prepared For what might be in Pandora’s Box and Felix the cat licks Tins of caviar and dolphin with no tuna caught in the net Holly and Ivy are too small to digest mince pies and porkies They shriek when Christmas crackers explode in their faces Are too young to wonder what might have caused the charade 20th December2019