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My wife
my wife paused a moment between the Christmas trees
bay laurel in the foyer wrapped in white lights and
and balsam in the living room
colored lights, adornments, and nativities
plus forty years
the same woman unpacking and handing the ornaments to me
admonishing to be careful of their fragility
cautioning not from provocation or necessity but
attentive to our shared enjoyment
my wife a moment between the fir and laurel trees
she paused to smile at me watching a football game on TV
which I wasn’t paying attention to after all.