O here comes Madame Krampus,
Black-horned and crimson-tressed,
To whip us and to stamp us
Underhoof this Yuletide fest. 
Wrapped tight in Santa’s jacket,
With shackle and with chain,
She grips her switch to smack it,
Our Christmas present — Pain.

[K. A. Opperman is a writer of Gothic and fantastic poetry from southern California. His work has appeared in numerous magazines and journals, and his debut book-length collection, The Crimson Tome (Hippocampus Press, 2015), is currently available in paperback from all major online retailers.]