Choosing a Tree

I’ve never bought a Christmas tree.
The holiday’s not mine;
But every year I check out
Every spruce or fir or pine.

I walk by all the outdoor stands
And deeply breathe the scent,
While tallying inside my head
The money I’d have spent.

Of course, I’d always pick a tree
Real full and fresh and fat;
Just getting it inside, I’d feel
Just like an acrobat.

And then the ornaments! What fun
To add some every year.
I’d be the first one in the stores
Before they’d disappear.

It’s easy just to fantasize
And then to amble by.
A Christmas tree is not a purchase
I could justify.

But when I watch the people
As they ponder and assess,
I realize who needs more to add
To my December stress.

So I stroll on and leave behind
A world I will not enter;
And if I need a tree, I’ll go
To Rockefeller Center!