decorating for the holidays

you have trouble with the lights
on your Christmas tree.
you've taken it off
the shelf and carried it all
the ways up from the basement
to set on the side table.
it's a white and shiny tree
with a string of lights
and bulbs you've carefully
arranged for a semblance of balance.
the tree is maybe two feet tall.
you've place three brand new
double AA batteries
into the little black box and pushed
the button.
nothing happens. then it blinks,
then it stops. you wonder
why you go through so much
trouble to decorate each holiday season.
you give up on the lights,
hoping later to get it working.
you take the snow globe out from
under the shelf where
it's been for three hundred
and forty one days. you shake
it and turn the metal knob
on the bottom. the music begins
to play. I'm Dreaming of a White
Christmas pings out in a slow
motion melody. you push aside
a pizza box from last night
and set it next to the tree.
you almost forget the wreath
for the door.
you find it under the bed
in the guest room. you blow
the dust off it and give it a shake.
the plastic cranberries roll
across the floor and hall as
you hang it on the nail you've never
removed. you find the candy canes
from last year in the card
box and scatter them about.
you strip the plastic off
one of them and suck on the gooey
stale cane. you're done
except for maybe setting out a bowl
of fancy nuts, or something.