the year comes to a close
few more days of cheer
fill our stockings
red green and gold
color everywhere
display of lights
the hunt for presents
visible at the mall
no price too high
on the holy day
eat drink and chat
little too much
year after year
the same rituals
followed to the letter
anchored in
the collective mind
the illusion of Santa
sleigh reindeers the works
the story that never
gets old
no talk of when
or if ever will
Santa retire
in search of assistance
with a rigid mirror
showing signs of
wear and tear
aging proceeds
without permission
bringing the gift of
squeaky knees
the fog on the glass
reflecting the youth
images showing
distant beauty
shattering bang!
the mirror in pieces
each one of them
the hologram of life
re-lived
hands on fire
head in the cloud
i have a desire
to say it aloud
to speak out
the truth to share
but then i freak out
and would not dare
words don’t come
my voice is weak
rule of thumb
i hardly speak
what is the matter
why do i choke
internal chatter
cracking a joke
the joke is on me
who cares more
invisible army
raging a war
sweaty palms
to face my fears
deceptive calms
under my tears
gather some strength
take a breath deep
stop writing at length
acting like a sheep …
go get some sleep
talk is cheap
speaking is listening
let that sink in
when we speak
we hear our own voice
so
let’s speak to another
the same way
we would like to
be spoken to
as
we are the main
recipient of
our words
now
choose
wisely
choose
kindness
