Bauble shards glimmered in the cold light
Tinsel strewn in ancient ritual
And only an hour before they all arrive
Mary sat amongst the broken glass
Her arm skewed in a ragdoll way
The rainbow of colour danced across her face
In a cruel waltz that reflected her life
Jamie stood in the doorway
Smirking down at the mess
And his wife broken before him.
The family arrived into a tidy, clean house
Mary’s arm strapped up for now
Even the gravy did not belie
The undertones of the house that day
They chatted and gossiped about sundry and all
Jamie was mine host extraordinaire
Mary the cook, barely sat down
When it was time for the contingent to leave
The tree looked elegant sans baubles this day
As everyone ignored the nuance and tone.
