At last the living room rolls back
from holy night to starless day, her
Christmas crèches packed away for
the lengthening months. Adios, tin cac-
tus, flip-up backdrop for our bladelike
sheet-tin Jesús, God's little razor.
Au revoir, madame outside the manger
with two cats to bless bébé, one black,
one white. Arrivederci, paisan',
dancing reverently with your bear.
Magi, Mary, Ox and Ass, go
up to the attic for hibernation,
when dreams shall prophesy your rescue,
a newborn life next shrunken year.