Crumpled Santas on the lawn
the night is o’er, their glory gone.
Their magic wanes with eager dawn

Valiant penguins watch the door
         Snowmen guardians as of yore
Mammoth ersatz beasts galore

Plastic lifeless forms they lay
Waiting for some midnight sleigh
Deflated figures of the day
Will Christmas come, or be delayed?

Inert synthetics are now grown dull
of this, we find our lives are full
airwaves push tunes into our skull
Is this magic, is this Yule?

Cardboard cutouts sideways listing,
         Paint is peeling, lights are glistening
People, stunned, to music listening

Roaming blank-eyed through the mall
Hoping for the perfect haul
Overwhelming all the senses
Disintegration of defenses
Buying brings an unexpected toll

Cars are honking,
Elmo’s tickling
Shoppers trampling
Bells are jingling
Noses freezing
Shovels scraping
Carols blaring
No one caring

The evening star above does rise
         The stillest silence of the night
Resting minds and hearts alike

The morning dawns with clean, crisp air
the family, born, and chosen, share
Build your own heartfelt society,
Fill it with the most variety.

Once again, those ersatz beasts, 
flattened sadly near each street,
keep in mind the hope for peace
That war and strife will soon cease
Welcome all into your feasts

Biography: I never even thought about writing until reading about a certain wizarding school.  The author had a great idea and brought it to fruition. An addictive reader is a person who is compelled by written language to read anything in front of them. I’ll follow almost any plot to the bitter end.  I’ve never kept a journal and haven’t had a writing class. Languages and words are fun, and I enjoy the sound, feel, and look of words. Reading a lot doesn’t make one a writer.  However, arranging words in ways that stimulate images in the mind, or feelings in the brain is an absorbing process. I am fascinated by the process and stimulated by the results.