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Last Holiday at Financial Aid

The office-party planners,

not in the mood to waste

a perfectly good plastic tree,

Didn’t take it down post-Christmas.

They repurposed it for Valentine’s Day,

using heart-shaped lights and beads

and red decorative balls.

For St. Patrick's day the tree

wore a green sequined hat,

rainbow fringe, and individualized elves,

bearing the faces of the office staff.

Next, for Graduation,

they made miniature caps and gowns,

and improbable resumes;

my favorite work experience

was Orca groomer.

Independence Day, a fire hazard,

had to be canceled,

but Thanksgiving was a hit,

with construction-paper hand turkeys

favorite recipes, food pix cut from magazines,

and real chocolate-chip cookies.

The tree was not taken down until 2036,

and then only because

of the predatory mutant fungus.

But by the time they burned the tree,

it was far too late.

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Thanks to the real-life party planners, and my sister, who told me what they did.