Christmas Tree
(translation|modification of Árbol Navideño)
by Luis S. González-Acevedo
In December, you’re dressed like a king
over a nourishing base of crystalline water;
and crowning you, we adorn you –Charlemagne– for Christmas Day.
In the North, the cold bewilders
while heavy snow falls ritually over Christmas trees.
The white cloaks protect green furs and repel winter’s lashing winds.
We all go out in search of our king with great excitement.
Cutting its trunk, we transport it to the palace,
crown it with a star, make it the sovereign of our lives,
and enthrone the monarch in its festive space.
–You can find the poem in Caribbean Poet, by Luis S. González-Acevedo or the original version in Spanish in Poemas Caribeños, por Luis S. González-Acevedo–
