christmas lights

as a family,
you see them, the wife,
the small boy, a man,
with a hammer,
on a ladder leaning
against the house,
the feet dug into
a cold patch of snow.
he bellows out
instructions. get me
this, get me that.
then damn as
the head strikes
his thumb.
she holds the ball
of lights in her
arms, like red and green
thorns, pulsing.
she wipes her nose
with her arm
while the boy rolls
and rolls down the
wet lawn.