O Tannenbaum

I saw a king once
Waiting for his carriage at the end of a driveway
leaning up against bags of wrapping paper
piled nearly as high as the Styrofoam bricks
where he stood away from the wind.
I wondered if he knew he reminded me of Humphrey Bogart
With that lollipop stick cigarette dangling from his thin lips
trying to forget about tinsel town.
I caught him staring at the silver threads
Caught in between his fingers like rivulets of water falling from his hands

I know he was dwelling on the children
adorning his branches with jewels and strings of beautiful lights

The very same little ones
Who were trying with all their hearts
To stop the peasants from unraveling his regal attire
and dragging his carcass out the same door
Which only days before
Everyone had fought to be the first to open .

When the sight of him was greeted with cheers and squeals of delight
when the cooing of the youngest one
Reminded him of the mourning doves that nested on the very same bough caught in the slam
as his skin was being scraped away on the aluminum frame

He was thinking of his corner near the fireplace
And the amber beads on his crown
when the dump truck arrived.