fan a flame of yuletide fancy

laughter spreads like flame through a cluttered living room
out front the one bar, new england christmas eve
amongst still neutral acquaintances on one of these nights
the light will move as easily as the darkness
isn’t it something how seldom we see
our eagerness to adopt the burning of fear or fancy
through the eyes and sighs of comrade or foe
we plead just light me feeling and let the ash of reason
rise into that final dark waiting
above below and all around
where our dead float free
give me a break tonight
for the sake of the magic baby 
or any old cause you need to burn
for down here the bulbs glow warm as every year