A distinct and prominent smell of pine

fills the room near christmas time

We have spent hours decorating the tree,

but there is still one more thing it needs.

There is one special space left at the top 

And there are two things left in the box.

One is a beautiful saint Nicholas,

and the other an ugly angel.

It may seem obvious which one to pick,

But the one we chose might surprise others a bit.

The beautiful saint Nick is a lovely choice,

But the Angel is what we use.

When I put the ugly angel on the tree,

I think of all who came before me.

My father and his mother and her mother.

The angel is my history.