the scouts have lined
the trees for sale
with lights and painted plywood
the snowy wet
and merry kids
unearth the heeds of childhood
grocery stores and shopping malls
exude the yuletide commerce
and truth be told
their jingled songs
recall a homeward chorus
truffle mint
and egg nog morn
mark the happy thing:
Christmastime
has come again
hark the angels sing!
tempting so to quicken pace
in step with season’s bustle
and yet my Lord
pursues my peace
to pause amidst the hustle
for all the feast and ornament
is merely to adorn
the miracle
God is with us
Immanuel is born.

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. – Isaiah 11:1-2

image: Christmas tree wallpaper, 7 themes