Driving through town
Late one December eve
I behold the sparkling sight
Of dozens
Of Christmas trees
Upon the courthouse lawn.
It's a sight repeated
Every year
When local charities
And other organizations
Join together
To spread yuletide joy
To passersby
Through delightful interpretations
Of O Tannenbaum.
So far
No fringe group
Has publicly protested
This secular expression
Of a religious holiday
And for this
We are all grateful.
Perhaps they are
As bedazzled
As the rest of us,
Charmed by the lights
And the finery
And the creativity
Of minds young
And young-at-heart
Who seek only to share
The intercultural appreciation
For the season.
Whatever the reason
We pray
That they will continue
To hold their tongues
And allow us our own
Freedom of expression.