Monday, January 25, 2010

Is that dead tree for your dead baby?

Last week I found this decrepit Christmas tree skeleton on Wayne Street. The sidewalk was strewn with other Christmas tree corpses, but they were all still green, full of needles, and looked like they were from this year.



How many years did this family keep this sad little firehazard? Were they hoarders, or cheap?

I can imagine their Christmas Day: dollar store objects and stoop sale throw aways barely covered in crumpled newspaper under this spiny mummy, "Children, retrieve your toys--but watch out for your eyes." Then the parents lament, "We might have to finally get rid of the tree this year--it's on fire again. But grandma will be happy to know we kept it for as long as we could, as stated in her will."



Which brings to mind: What rags do they force their Christmas-cheerless children to wear, and what do they do with their deceased pets?

2 comments:

JayneF said...

HAH - Melissa! For a second I panicked and was certain it was MY Xmas tree you were mocking! Last year I kept missing the garbage pick-up for the tree, so finally, when it continued to be ignored my JC's finest (trash removal, et al) I had to stash it in my backyard where it grew skeletal and bile-yellow. Perhaps the same fate befell this dead baby family on Wayne Street.

Melissa Surach said...

I hope so, Jayne. That would make their Christmas less sad. Did your tree ever catch on fire?