Ornament

He said he had no use for ‘holy’ things,
The ornaments of Christ’s nativity:
“You Christians keep your Babe and manger scenes,
I’ll just adorn my ‘pagan’ Christmas tree.”
And taking from an ancient box a bust
Of Santa Claus, wrought cunningly from clay
By some exquisite artisan who must
Have seemed like Michelangelo the day
The gorgeous image in his hands was made,
Our neighbor put our humble crèche to shame;
But then, like some angelic herald, said,
(Unwitting just how near to faith he came):
“It seems almost a sacrilege to me
To hang a thing so lovely on a tree.”