Writers' Group

In honor of the upcoming holiday, here's the poem I brought to the last meeting of the Fosston Writers' Group:

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Not long before Christmas

We went on a quest.

We wanted a fresh tree,

The one we’d like best.

So off in the pickup

We went to a place

To chop down our own tree -

The fun’s in the chase.

We found one so bushy

So full and so nice

It filled up the truck box

And cheap was the price.

My husband got busy

He trimmed it on top,

And also the bottom

He needed to chop.

It came in the front door.

It just was too big

To drag all through the house.

This was no little sprig.

It fit in the front room

With little space left.

Was the tilt to one side

All from the tree’s heft?

“There’s a crack in the stand,”

My husband exclaimed.

“We best buy a new one,”

He also proclaimed.

“Computer-designed,” it

Said on the label,

With some other claims, too,

Each one a fable.

It was quite a struggle;

We transferred the tree

To the super new stand.

We were now worry free.

After one night, we were

Ready to trim it.

With help from the grandkids

It soon could be lit.

The baby was napping

In his daddy’s arms.

The kittens slept soundly -

No cause for alarms.

Decorations were hung,

Lots near the bottom,

By the other three kids.

They all put on some.

We opened some presents

And did some cleaning.

Then looked at the tree - It

 Seemed to be leaning.

“Oh, no, it was like that,”

My husband replied.

“The wonderful tree stand

Will ever abide.”

A few minutes later,

Hearing a tinkle,

We rushed to the room

And saw a new wrinkle.

The tree had now fallen; 

It lay on its side -

Ornaments all scattered

So far and so wide.

With huffing and puffing

We righted the tree,

Redecorated it

Swell as can be.

‘Twas only a moment 

The tree stood upright.

Again it fell over.

There was no delight.

We vacuumed up needles,

Also some water.

Those tree stand designers

We wanted to slaughter.

And after that Christmas

We went to the store

And we bought a fake tree 

To use evermore.
                                            ---Kay Carlsen