The tree is chosen, wrapped, tied to the roof of the car
and transported home,
and freed from the netting
and placed in the tree holder
and adjusted
and straightened
and adjusted again.
It’s funny how many variations of vertical there can be in one family!
The lights are found, unpacked and untwisted.
If we are lucky, we put them away carefully.
We lay them out on the floor
Take a breath, and switch them on.
50 years ago, this moment would usually yield nothing
And a painstaking testing of each bulb then took place
Until the broken one was discovered and replaced.
Now, with modern technology, that need has gone.
The lights tested,
we curl them round the tree from bottom to top
adjusting,
straightening
adjusting again.
And then we pause.
Some years, the lights alone
Are almost enough decoration –
Plain white points against dark needles –
Peaceful
Restful
Waiting.
Jo Hansen 