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The Synesthesia of Christmas
| Open Poetry #8 |
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The Synesthesia of Christmas |
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MseanM New Member
since 2000-06-17
Posts 4Morgan Hill, CA |
Warm from the the thither of the jingle bells I watched for the echoes of Christmas smells And never once asked why my tongue grew wet For the land would melt this time of year With as much cold sweat and foul cold fear That fits hard for a soft pocket (like me) Outside the mall bookstore Some thief snuggles in your blanket cheer His bell, your tongue, and a red bucket at every door December 6th, Monday, exactly 4pm (though I never wear a watch) take a look, I never wear a watch! But I could tell this time by watching him: at 3:30 he looked casually down at 3:45 he looked again by 3:50 he was looking every minute staring the wheel on his wrist down to thirty second ticks of his eternity He passed his time by giving it away To me, or anyone else who might have seen the nerves of his half-hearted, half-hour routine Oh, but his face was full of cheer Rosy cheek and a smart suit with a festive necktie to match Even the clever tilt of a santa hat worn slightly left, but always right over the baldness of his double-helix fate Where filed-down horns once grew from the smoothened scalp he dared not display....his hunt for Job. He rang his bell and took his post Full-time banker, Esteemed associate of some rotisserie club Part-time seasonal soldier for salvation He stood his ground for something (he must have thought) "What a patriot I am...now go home and deduct your life" Ultraviolet perfume of sour whispers, lukewarm and bound Throw this loud salt, this putrid tundra-- Back to the thither of the jingle bells I watch for the echoes of Christmas smells Inside the mall bookstore, 4:01pm wet tongue, and all "We must accomodate Christmas!" the rack space crammed the end-caps tight and the aisles shrink with overstock swells over with merchandise for stockings "Make way for merchandise, make way for sales!" The merchant eyes the cash register Cha-chingle bells Cha-chingle bells Cha-chingle all the way to the bank for some change "We need more coins, " he shouts "My brother outside has no clout to ask for modern machines. His all-volunteer force is an army without management but an army with good claim!" Make way! Make way! for the sleigh driver's stay For Spot's first Christmas For Barbie's first Christmas For Winnie and Elmo and Teletubs, too On Clifford, On Barney, On Mr. Blues Clues (Follow each first release, you'll find the ninth piece of some former golden Christmas fleece) "Oh Pokemon with your sales so bright Won't you guide our sleigh tonight?" "It's true...without you Poke there'd be no Santa in the sky No Nick...no knacks No shelves, nor elves themselves to dream about." Ah, but so much depends upon a red wheel barrow strapped with reindeer instead of white chickens 4:02pm Outside the mall bookstore The soldier is relieved by another soldier's approach (this one likes to shout) "When a New York boy hits age thirteen he's 1 in 4 to never have seen the sun rise without set on this fair hope... "let my parents not ask the state for help." I move from the thither to block his bell But stand without a pence for pale. "Hey buddy, c'mon, don't ya know it's Christmas time?" Oh, call me jewish with those angelic eyes and I'll swallow your heart without disguise the blistered irish stout of a madman counting twigs for a viking pyre at sea Black vomit spills from the chalice when you speak The swollen bellies drag theur feet north over the dry, cracked mud One by one they collapse Their last look upon the ebony sky above Abraham's children Forever being born "Yes...yes, I know it's Christmas But for me, there is no Christmas 'time'. I celebrate Christmas in every moment of everyday That is the Christmas I know." "For until the last breath of my last lung 'Twould I only have one last tongue-- Tonight from the thither I share this: I would die for you, each and every one of you. But I will never live for you... And there is a difference." [This message has been edited by MseanM (edited 06-25-2000).] |
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| © Copyright 2000 Michael Sean Mulvihill - All Rights Reserved | |||
Elizabeth
Moderator
Member Ascendant
since 1999-06-07
Posts 6871Minnesota |
Made me think of a couple of things. The first one was the commercialization of Christmas. The second one was an incident that occured at my job last December. I worked at a grocery store, and we also had bell-ringers for some organization or other. One lady got tired of hearing them, and she threw the divider, the one that is meant to be used to separate different orders, at the bell ringer. *Sigh* What lovely Christmas spirit people display. Elizabeth< !signature--> I'm grabbing my hat and coat I'm leaving the cat a note Quick call me a ferry boat-getting out of town! [This message has been edited by Elizabeth (edited 06-25-2000).] |
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