Christmas is
Jewish friend hiding Christmas cards from the rabbi
endless lines outside Myer’s windows
Santas with sore knees
hopeful children, exhausted parents
checking and crosschecking Christmas card lists
she didn’t send me one last year
presents sequestered in a thousand hiding places
a thousand hiding places discovered — surreptitious peeking, shaking, weighing
too bountiful food and drink and food and talk and food and food and food
shopping till footsore, cursed last minute rush
the ouch (and oh, shit!) of the unexpected present
4 years ago • Notes