The Fest Poem by Jan Oskar Hansen

The Fest


The Christmas Eve began with smiles and laughter,
where I come from Christmas day is a hanger- over day
after excesses the night before.
Plenty of food and drink, aquavit and beer this was long
before wine came the in thing to drink and we sang and gave
presents and had a jolly good time for a while.
Someone made a sarcastic remark that was met with
a bad-tempered answered, suddenly everyone remembered
a slight going back twenty years ago and more
A fight broke out the yule tree ended up in the snow
police were called to calm things down and mother
came out of the kitchen serving coffee.
Next morning my father went out and collected tree decorations,
good for next year`s Christmas party he wearily said,
and for once no once no one was arrested.