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The Truth About Tinsel–Quadrille #142

Katie Frances Hartless
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The truth about tinsel:
poor man’s ice,
telltale trashbag tree,
treebangs of the 80’s
sprinkled to hide
the ugly limbs,
the dried dull-grey,
the balding spots.

Budget’s got
your branches thinned?
This hardpressed
holiday season,
if the scratchers don’t win,
just tinsel me in.

© khartless 2021, All Rights Reserved

d’Verse Poet’s Pub–Mish is the host for Quadrille #142-Tinseltown. Quadrilles are poems of exactly 44-word and tonight they have to sparkle. Join us.

68 responses to “The Truth About Tinsel–Quadrille #142”

  1. johnlmalone Avatar
    johnlmalone

    hahah; fun and whimsy 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Thank you kindly, John. Might be more hilarious if I didn’t live it. No, it was good times, tinseling the bald spots on our trees.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. John Avatar
    John

    As an adult, I don’t like tinsel. It gets lost everywhere and you find it under the couch in July! I read yesterday how it is dangerous for pets too. Scary!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Agreed. Do they still make it? I always thought it died with so many extravagantly wasteful things birthed in the 80s. 😂 Thanks for chiming in, John.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. John Avatar
        John

        I have no idea but I suppose that it could possibly be found in a dollar store. The 1980s were my best years! We were and still are wasteful in too many ways…

        Like

  3. Lucy Avatar
    Lucy

    Hahaha, I love this one. Tinsel is cheap, but it can get the job done for sure.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Thanks, Lucy. It did, indeed, for many years. Won’t touch the stuff now, too many memories. Cheers to the holiday season!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  4. Photography314 Avatar
    Photography314

    We had many tinsel bombs go off on our trees over the years. Great job!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Thanks. I didn’t even mention the fallout of tinsel and vacuums. Oh, maybe a sequel?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Photography314 Avatar
        Photography314

        Haha 😂

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Gillena Cox Avatar
      Gillena Cox

      Ah the versatile tinsel. Does wonders to a tree
      Happy you dropped by to read mine

      Much💟love

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. K.Hartless Avatar
        K.Hartless

        Thank you, Gillena. I try for humor and it’s usually satire. Thanks for dropping by and reading my quadrille. Happy holidays to you!

        Like

  5. abigfatcanofworms Avatar
    abigfatcanofworms

    LOL! Brilliant. I love it!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Thank you. Thought I might have gone to far, but it’s all truth, or at least my truth. Cheers, worms.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. abigfatcanofworms Avatar
        abigfatcanofworms

        If it’s any comfort we had a few bamboo stems as a tree one year It was definitely lacklustre. But I have to say, our Tinsel was balder than our trees on average. (When we moved back to Australia, we had cypress pines on our property and would choose a limb from a cypress tree). As a kid, I am sure your tree bothered you and I am sorry I laughed. I think I misread it a little. It’s horrible to feel pressure to do Christmas “right’.

        Like

  6. GraceoftheSun Avatar
    GraceoftheSun

    Love this piece, K. Tinsel makes me feel so nostalgic. Great picture.💕

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Thank you kindly, Grace. I tangoed with tinsel long ago, done with that now. Cheers to you.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. GraceoftheSun Avatar
        GraceoftheSun

        My pleasure.I haven’t seen tinsel in such a long time, Great memories.💕

        Liked by 1 person

      2. K.Hartless Avatar
        K.Hartless

        Indeed. Cheers!

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Jeff Flesch Avatar
    Jeff Flesch

    Well, I remember this like it was yesterday. Sometimes there was so much tinsel the tree was hard to see…seriously. Great poem and trip down memory lane, K.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Thank you. Hope you don’t get tangled up in any tinsel this season. Cheers, Jeff.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Jeff Flesch Avatar
        Jeff Flesch

        You’re welcome. Haha. No more tinsel for me – left that in the 80’s. Cheers.

        Like

  8. Dale Avatar
    Dale

    You just brought me down memory lane! That’s exactly what tinsel did (hide the ugly and bare spots!)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Oh, I’m so glad to hear it. Thought it was just my family with the lopsided thinning tree. 😂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Dale Avatar
        Dale

        Oh heck no!!

        Liked by 1 person

  9. dorahak Avatar
    dorahak

    Love this, K, and great advice. We’ve seen those bare branches more than once that need to be tinseled in!
    Pax,
    Dora

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Thank you kindly, Dora.

      Like

      Reply
  10. Glenn A. Buttkus Avatar
    Glenn A. Buttkus

    We used to spend a of time turning the tree so that the fullest branches were out front. These das it’s the string of lights that mantle the tree. I’m happy now with a fake tree, and a spray can of pine scent.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Ah, yes indeed. I forgot the spray sent this year but the fake tree does have its perks. Not shedding being a big one for me. Cheers, Glenn.

      Like

      Reply
  11. rothpoetry Avatar
    rothpoetry

    I love it. Sort of like spraying a bald spot on the head! Great poem.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      It works, tinsel as Toupee. Gosh, Dwight, you’re making this poem even better. Thank you.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. rothpoetry Avatar
        rothpoetry

        Thank you! :>)

        Like

  12. Mish Avatar
    Mish

    Ha..I hadn’t even thought of it that way…until now. Thanks for the perspective. Here’s to filling in the gaps.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Thanks for hosting this topic and fixing my left a laugh. I have a love-hate relationship with tinsel and it was fun to roast it a bit last night. Happy holidays, Mish.

      Like

      Reply
  13. ben Alexander Avatar
    ben Alexander

    Gotta know… Who’s in the pic? 😁

    💜
    David

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Oh, that me, the red-headed middle child, and my two sisters. Christmas of the past.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. ben Alexander Avatar
        ben Alexander

        cute children!

        Like

  14. Carol Congalton Avatar
    Carol Congalton

    Very clever!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Thank you, Carol. 😀

      Like

      Reply
  15. paeansunplugged Avatar
    paeansunplugged

    Budget often get in to spoil celebrations. We do what we can do. Beautiful.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Yes, to make do is often the northern of invention. Thank you. 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. paeansunplugged Avatar
        paeansunplugged

        You are welcome.

        Liked by 1 person

  16. Michele Marsh Avatar
    Michele Marsh

    We had the same type of tree! I also thought tinsel was a symbol of luxury style just like a white tree which my sister always wanted and our mom said no

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Oh man, a white tree brings me back to my grandmother’s tree. White and flaked this awful stuff. She thought it was beautiful, and it was in its own way.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Michele Marsh Avatar
        Michele Marsh

        That was a dream of my sisters she begged our mom to have a white tree and my mom said no didn’t like it’s look. It took years for us to get a real tree too that was an epic battle there for her to capitulate with the rest of the family

        Liked by 1 person

  17. Hobbo Avatar
    Hobbo

    tinsel me in! 😂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Hehe, alright, hold still. 😂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Hobbo Avatar
        Hobbo

        🤣

        Like

  18. Mister Bump UK Avatar
    Mister Bump UK

    Tinsel – ever so handy for tying the kids up!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Now there’s a reason to purchase some. Great idea, Mr.B. Resourceful as ever.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  19. Ron. Avatar
    Ron.

    Always a big battle in my youth: hang it carefully, one strand at a time or step back, toss a handful, & c all it quits.
    Nice recall, K. Thanks.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Thanks, Ron. Haven’t tried that handful effect before. I bet my mom would have liked it. Happy holidays, thanks for the read.

      Like

      Reply
  20. kaykuala Avatar
    kaykuala

    Love your humour K . It is good to see the lighter side of things. It makes life more balanced and meaningful!

    Hank

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Thank you, Hank.Agreed, and I appreciate you stopping by.

      Like

      Reply
  21. Jane Dougherty Avatar
    Jane Dougherty

    Nicely cynical 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Thank you, Jane. It was impossible for me to write tinsel any other way.

      Like

      Reply
      1. Jane Dougherty Avatar
        Jane Dougherty

        I can understand that 🙂

        Like

  22. writingwhatnots Avatar
    writingwhatnots

    Haha – tinsel me in indeed!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Yes, well. I did write that didn’t I? 😂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  23. Misky Avatar
    Misky

    That ‘tinsel me in’ is just brilliant, K. Love this one.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Thank you kindly, Misky. I’m glad you enjoyed the final pun. Cheers.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  24. Ain Avatar
    Ain

    Poor man’s ice…..brilliant….

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Thank you. I liked that line as well. Cheers, Ain.

      Like

      Reply
  25. Björn Rudberg (brudberg) Avatar
    Björn Rudberg (brudberg)

    Ha… great to cover up that poor tree and pretend…. just like icing on stale bread

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Indeed. Just the thought of it gives me the willies, actually. Thanks for stopping by. Cheers.

      Like

      Reply
  26. Bill Avatar
    Bill

    Well done, K. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.Hartless Avatar
      K.Hartless

      Why, thank you, Bill. Cheers.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  27. Taradiddle | rfljenksy – Practicing Simplicity Avatar
    Taradiddle | rfljenksy – Practicing Simplicity

    […] through the eyes of lies: ben; jane; jahna; sadje; sandra; hartless; jeffrey; hope; fandango; troy; reluctant; Ab; pat; […]

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Katie Frances Hartless

K.F. Hartless (she/her) is a free-spirited fiction writer and word trapeze artist. When she’s not juggling her career as a literacy specialist, she’s preparing her latest death-defying act on the keys.

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