The Cost of Christmas

Writing this on Christmas eve for posting on the big day, while listening to Robbie Williams’ Christmas album on Spotify.

When does the excitement of Christmas fade?  Is it when you prefer to buy your own presents than to be surprised with stuff you don’t really want?  I would be perfectly happy to drop the whole commercial aspect and to some extent I have, picking up a few books in charity shops means putting money in the hands of charity instead of big business.  I’ve made my own cards (although still had to buy the cardstock/envelopes – maybe next year Christmas postcards are the way to go?) and donated to the food bank.  Supermarkets, of course, had their share of spend but hey, we’ve got to eat anyway.

I’m not a hater of Christmas, I’m just a hater of waste and so much of Christmas is destined for landfill.  Reduce, reuse, recycle and give the planet the best present this year.


The Cost of Christmas

Christmas gifts
shiny paper
sellotape
plastic film
wrapped boxes
and trays
each layer
costed in earth hours

Christmas feasting
crisp white tablecloths
piled high with
too much to eat
too much to drink
waistbands stretched
and excess wasted

Festive greetings
media broadcast
ideological
rose-tinted view
share a prayer
and make a wish
a promise for the future
of our earth

copyright © 2019 Karen Horsley