Rome Christmas cone lasts one day

a man seated at an outside restaurant table,
in sport and open collar shirt,
was sipping a cappuccino.
noticing him reminded me the pre-Chrismas weather's fine.

as we circled the center of Rome,
where only yesterday a forty foot tall
red and mostly white paper mache
inverted cone was prominent on display,

we had debated briefly about what it was,
and why it was there
where the holiday tree usually sits,
and wondered who came up with that idea?

has it gone now to where decorations go,
though always after the holiday,
not three weeks before,
not the day after it was put there?

someone else had noticed the strange cone,
someone with an influential voice in the city,
and must have concurred with us, it didn't work,
it looked absolutely stupid.

a voice spoke, “take it down.”
and probably advised,
“don’t ever try anything
stupid like that again.”

and is sipping a capuccino at this time
at an outdoor cafe,
wearing a sport coat and open-collar shirt
while fuming much less and enjoying the holiday season more.