also the way your photo is composed and focused, the pole is the subject and the xmas lights in the back are more of the background (at least thats the way i see it)
I may have done something like a F/11, 2", external strobe camera/pole right, to hit it with sidelight and give it shape away from the background. With this photo you picked one or the other (the lights vs the pole), but you put the pole right in the center so it makes me want to try and see it. So people who are looking for lights will hate the pole, and people who want to see the detail in the pole with get lost in the lights......