I’ve taken the decorations down,

oddly they were getting me down…

maybe that isn’t odd,

I say every year

that I want to do Christmas differently,

but every year I fall into the old trap…

oddly I love lights,

and I’m even fond of a bit of sparkle,

maybe it’s what they stand for,

that and the endless droning on TV, and radio,

Christmas parties, family time,

menus, gifts, pressure and more pressure…..

so I’ve taken the decorations down,

reclaimed my space,

not only external but internal too,

maybe I will become a recluse next year,

declare the month to be a month of fasting,

of naming the things that hurt and harm,

and refusing to let them in…

the suicide rate goes up at Christmas,

the Samaritans receive more calls than normal,

mental health suffers,

this is the hidden face,

the flip side we shy away from,

like the massacre of the innocents

and the flight to Egypt,

they don’t reflect the tinsel bedecked shallowness,

the carols with non-crying babies,

and perfect children….

I’ve taken the decorations down,

maybe I will do things differently next year!