Christmas Tree Wreckage
by Laurie Kolp
Movement failed Mignon as she watched
the fourteen-foot Christmas tree
topple from vaulted ceiling
to marble tiled floor
like a trapeze artist
in a poor performance.
A decoupage of broken lamps
and shattered glass,
cracked branches and pine needles
immersed in rubbles of red, green and gold
smashed presents and broken ornaments
filled the majestic room
mere hours before
the guests were to arrive.
The North Pole Christmas train
continued its circuitous route
through the wreckage
belting Christmas carols
and chiming bells
as the engine’s slight headlight
shone brightly in the dark.
“I’m going to squeeze the life out of you!”
Jim heard the hoarse words
vanish into smoky air,
and like a disloyal soldier
swift ropes fail to capture,
he played possum
in the basement of his mind.
*
*
Big Tent Poetry's weekly prompt was a wordle- Use as many of these words in a poem: swift, immerse, topple, disloyal, squeeze, hoarse, vanish, ropes, slight, engine, basement, performance. I can proudly say I was able to use all of them.
15 comments:
Great use of the wordle words. At one of our Christmas parties a slightly inebriated dancing uncle fell into the tree and the scene was very much as you describe!
I love the hoarse words... they made me laugh!!
Thank you for writing with such humor and I wonder... did this really happen?!
My Poem is here.
Thank you! = )
Fortunately, this is not about me. It describes what happened to a friend several years ago.
Nicely put together with the wordle words. How unfortunate for your friend. I hope you have a Merry Christmas.
Pamela
Not only should you be proud of using all of the words, but of how well you used them to create an image all of us hope will never happen, and cross our fingers every year that it never will. Thanks for this one,
Elizabeth
Thanks for the Christmas story. I guess many families have them. Do you know Julie Buffaloe-Yoder? She tells Southern tales in poetry and I have heard of some of the publications you cite from her. You can access her latest post from my sidebar if you like. In my opinion, she's just about the best at what she does.
Thank you for your kind words.
Christopher~ Thanks so much for the info. I'll be sure to check out her work.
Merry Christmas all!!
Your poem and Linda's are about the same topic...coincidence? I like the vanishing like a disloyal soldier...
You did so well, creating such a poem!
dead woman and her wants
I love that last line! Yes,we were on the same wavelength this week.
hi Laurie, You've used the words to such dramatic alarming effect.
Fun disaster, Laurie. Cool how you were able to use all the words.
An absorbing incident! It's so visible and readable, as well.
Nicely done - I love the last lines, especially picturing someone "playing possum in the basement of his mind" - great image.
This is one fear we all share – the Christmas tree falling in shambles. But life goes one, like the polar train… :)
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