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Thursday, December 07, 2017

Christmas on TV

The musical cues
are perfectly timed;
the actors, beautiful,
the Thomas Kincaid lighting.

TV houses remain
impeccably decorated,
with wadded-up
wrapping paper
strangely absent from
the living room floor.

Any tears shed
are because
the two principals
finally found
each other,
and (of course)
they found love,
their cynicism replaced
by a sentimental gesture
that reminds of them
of their lost innocence.

No, Christmas on TV
lacks the wailing, moaning
and unremitting sadness,
longing for loved ones
long passed over
passed by
or passed away.

Christmas on TV
proves no loneliness
goes unanswered,
and everyone
has someone looking in
on them.

But life isn’t TV
and there are
dark, lonely quiet
living rooms,
with lone strings
of half-burned out lights
and dusty, faded nativity scenes,
valiantly trying
to imbue festivity
with warmth.

Christmas on TV
isn’t anything sad,
it sticks around
playing and re-playing
familiar fantasias
that rarely happen
in real life.

For some,
Christmas on TV
is the only Christmas
they know
as they wait
for December 26,
when it will all
vanish,
seemingly overnight,

and everything,
for better or worse
or same,
goes back to normal.

15 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:23 PM

    Really like this and was nodding my head until I hit the last stanza, and instead of the word "same", I saw 'sane', and went still, because it made so much sense.

    Elizabeth

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  2. I despise Christmas.

    This is an excellent poem.

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  3. This really moved me, Mosk. True speculations. Hope you are well...

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  4. For some the holidays can be very sad and meaningless ~ Christmas on TV may not be so bad after all ~

    Wishing you and your family Happy Holidays!!!

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  5. So sad with loneliness, and the contrast to the scenery on TV is stunning... and then afterwards what will happen?

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  6. So sad with loneliness, and the contrast to the scenery on TV is stunning... and then afterwards it's back to normal

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  7. Criticism of 'The Season' is spot on!

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  8. Yes I was too - beautifully poignant. A very finely felt and sculpted write that registers deeply.

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  9. This is incredibly touching, Mosk!

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  10. I liked these lines: "valiantly trying
    to imbue festivity
    with warmth."

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  11. True enough...and you made me google Thomas Kinkade!

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  12. I think our expectations of Christmas come from the media, and then, as you say, the real thing can never live up to our expectations. Good observations here!

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  13. A lot of truth here. I think when we stop trying to live up to the expectations of others, we’re happier. I know I am. All the best to ya, Mosk.

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  14. There is such a melancholy beauty to this, Mosk. All too true.

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  15. not a fan of the current "sellabration" of that event. but whacchagonnado?

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