The Festive Season

The holiday festivities
delight with gaudy Christmas trees,
while carolers attempt to please,
but homeless vet
cannot control his cough and wheeze
when cold and wet.

We plan and decorate each year
and strive for cheerful atmosphere,
until the truth becomes quite clear:
The festive tone
does not deliver all that cheer
when you're alone.

Notes on the Burns Stanza ▼

The Burns Stanza is an old Scottish form with a specific pattern of rhyme and meter, as described and demonstrated in the following links:

https://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/topic/3233-burns-stanza-standard-habbie-six-lin...

https://www.britannica.com/art/Burns-metre