The Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree stands in the corner of the room, straight and tall in its stand, waiting to be decorated.

Soon lights will be strung and ornaments hung. Some ornaments old, some, new, some store bought, some homemade. Crudely crafted ornaments by children bring a smile.

The Christmas tree with twinkling lights and decked out in all its glory bring ooohhs and aaahhs from people who proclaim "What a beautiful tree!"

The Christmas tree, straight and tall, stands in the corner bringing holiday joy.

When Christmas is past the lights are unstrung and ornaments unhung. The ornaments and lights are carefully packed away in storage boxes until next year.

The Christmas tree, once straight and tall, is now dragged out to the curb. Thrown away like a broken toy no one wants to play with anymore.

While the tree lies on the ground like a piece of junk perhaps a few birds will roost deep in its branches safe and warm, protected from the winter cold for a night or two.

A truck come around to haul the Christmas away to meet its fate. It's dumped in a pile with other trees waiting to be cremated. Not cremated by fire like a human body, but cremated by a wood chipper.

Shoved into the chipper, the powerful jaws of the machine chew up the tree and spit it out the other end.

The Christmas tree no longer straight and tall, sits in a pile until spring when it will mulch someones roses or garden.

While the Christmas tree is now unrecognizable it's still part of Mother Nature's world and has purpose.