Christmas Afternoon

Dry humour drifting with sips of tea
Log cakes and ice-cream before thee
Oh, salvation from the sun-blaze!

What chuckling and laughter that ring across
The bustling dining table
Stomachs laden with digesting turkey
And tongues that wag without rest

The exchange of presents!
Another addition to the bountiful collection
Done before a barren altar of
Figures forlorn and forgotten
(Or maybe just there for decoration)

The empty crib sits alone in a corner
While the Christmas tree stands in grandeur
The star atop outshines the crib’s faltering lamps

Soon guests depart and we bid them farewell
Then we retire to our bedrooms
From a long day of much socializing

The air-conditioner is at full blast and
All blankets are unrolled
With nothing in our minds
Christmas is lost in dreamless sleep