Fin de Siècle

F i n d e S i è c l e

Everyone’s heliotropic, even on this gray day— same as it ever was. I’m still doing it the old way. I’m happy about Christmas, which is new for me: fake tree with a crooked trunk, a few handmade cards For ornaments. My son is delighted by new pajamas.

Then, of course, there are the elves and gnomes Who escaped the box just as I opened it. There was nothing

I could do. They fight nightly when we’re not In the room and hide when we come in. It remains the damnedest thing: all night the sounds Of the most vicious violence without weaponry one can imagine (unless candy canes sucked to a point Count as weapons, and I suppose they do); then as soon as I come out of my room, they’re taking pains To hide themselves and each other! I was surprised one night to see both an elf and a gnome peeking around The same corner of the couch at me, their little dagger canes hidden by their thighs. Why the elf didn’t impale the gnome Right there and be done with it I’ll never figure.

I would guess, since elves fight in the style of angels And gnomes like those tenacious dwarves (my neighbor has them), it’s a pretty compelling match-up. Who knows how long it will last. I think we should start a fund to keep the old customs alive, don’t you? I’ll bet a dime. Who do you think will see me in time?