His nearby town wore annual evening-dress,
cheap jewellery of lights, white fur and bright
drapes of Santa red which might impress
late shoppers on this final trading-night,
persuading them to spend their all before
indifferent time slammed shut the last shop door.

He heard hyena voices and he saw
splashed vomit on the pavement as he left,
saddened by this evidence of more
contempt of what was once the numinous.