December Holiday Hustle Poems

Seven Poems written in the midst of holiday hurry:

As always, thanks to Tanweer Dar for his #MastoPrompt every day. Most of the poems are human rights or mental health themed, but every now and then I write for humor or just for the beauty of it. It’ll be pretty obvious to most readers that I have some significant trauma around Christmas traditions from what I wrote this week. Also, and, the week before Christmas is generally a very difficult time for my therapy clients, who are often cut off from significant portions of their extended families. I tried to be gentle with myself and with the people involved in my memories, but I’m not sure I succeeded. In any case, enjoy.

Flawless

“I’m flawless”, he said.
Oh, how perfectly boring.
Sipped my tea, swiped left.

(I love the wordplay in this one. What do you think?)

Imminent

Everything feels like
imminent catastrophe
when guzzling hate

Bandage

Mommy’s magic kiss
Heals the pain of childhood hurts
No bandage competes.

(I loved my mom, y’all).

Mirth

Bubbling from within
mirth rises
toot sweet.

(yes, it’s a fart joke)

Eve

If you’ll pardon me
remember those without cheer
on this Yuletide eve

A Christmas Memory

A candle burning every night since Yule.
Mom grieving for her mom long dead.
“Angel hair” (fiberglass, can you believe it?!?) causing the whole house to itch.
Dad’s pancakes.
Smarmy jokes from the older brothers.
Forced smiles all the way around.
My sister, in the moment, opening presents.
“You’re too sensitive”.
Merry Fucking Christmas, 1979.

(yes, ouch. My mom was complicated. And the prompt was #Christmas)

American Pharisees

“Our icon, the almighty dollar
is for our worth and our gain,” they holler.
“Tell us not of the poor
’tis natural we’ve more
It’s their own fault they perish in squalor”.

(the prompt was #icon).

Those are the poems for this week.

I will try to finish my series on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights later this week, and I have a few ideas for mental health articles. Also, I’m slowly sharing many of my TikTok videos on YouTube, so if you don’t use TikTok, you can go there to see my short videos. Also, later this week look for new items in the store with my newest design, “Resistance is Necessary”.

Thank you