Poem: Unseasonal Xmas

 

Unseasonal Xmas

 

mutton clouds

wrap an eyeball of sun.

filet-white stare

overlording 

the trapped sinews of a meekening winter.

 

in the yard

bleachers of half-flaxen stick figures

hang icy, droopy, and dirty,

heralds of translucent daze.

 

in the town, 

people squirm in pews, offices, theaters, stores,

acquiescent in the humdrum,

suffering staid, forgettable gamuts

in their normal, unthoughtful poses.

 

is it, all of it, everything about this snowless place,

nothing but a blizzard of fallen wings?

it is only a grudge match between sugarcoated angels

who laminate sundry ornaments

available at the dime store?

some lost saint once said that hope 

has been known to survive such fiascos.

half-starved and hurt, yes,

braving one trench-like punchbowl to the next.

hope endures, so said the Old Nick,

through many avalanches of fake smiles

and forced laughter.

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11/13/25 mods .. nasty

6/21/24 ... mods

1/6/23   "forced" replaces "fake"

12/4   switched positions of "false" and "fake" 

12/3   "ornaments" replaces "tchotchkes"

12/2 ... changed the prepositions in the "pews" stanza ...