November 4, 1997
I just saw two trucks drive by, loaded with pine trees. Oregon is the largest supplier of Christmas
trees in America. It also does huge
business with Japan. Every year, tens of
thousands of trees are sacrificed so that we may dress them in garland and
lights for one day, throw millions of dollars of unneeded presents under them
and wrap those excess presents with wrapping paper - which will be thrown away
during the present opening frenzy.
Each year, this ‘tradition’ sickens me at a deeper and
deeper level. We no longer kill trees,
but rather plant a tree at Christmas. We
don’t buy cards to send to people who then throw them away - we recycle paper
we already have used. And this year, we
will not use wrapping paper. We will use
newspapers.
My soul wants to cry at this decadence. My heart can not find the meaning - the
spirit - any longer - of Christmas.
Christmas Lust
The slaughter has begun.
How will they keep the trees
alive until Christmas?
Commercialism has won.
How many will be sacrificed for
our lust?
The rampant spending, consumerism, uncontrollable desires
are sickening my heart.
The buying and destroying, the throwing away - all sires
a society bereft of spirit,
denuded of meaning.
A society which forfeited its soul
for one more thing,
one bigger thing,
one best thing.
Things
These are our masters - things
without soul or breath.
What have we come to?
Where shall we go from here?
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