Bah! (Day 316)

How tiresome to be saying 

Merry Christmas again

when it should so obviously 

be June. Since late October, 

all the stores have been playing 

their jingly-jolly songs, 

shoppers humming along 

tunelessly, as they pause

to consider the merit 

of a bellydancing houseplant 

or battery-operated mittens. 

You don’t have to choose, 

on the spot these days. 

The good news is: 

You can buy that retro, 80s

neon sweater, just like the ones 

everyone hated in the 80s, 

even after you go home.

The joys of the season are 

upon us, and there’s always 

a reason to celebrate 

the people you love—as well 

as those you dislike, but 

are forced to buy gifts for by 

your boss or your spouse—with 

a mall-kiosk brie that not even

a mouse would find tempting.

(c) 2017, by Hannah Six

Image: Benh Lieu Song

Jump high the stairs (Day 274)

jump high the bleached and splintered stairs

today was so many no’s and don’ts

and now the children are poison darts

and now she come here and just give me a hug

no really that’s what she said

the parents know that water’s good

and beating on the window 

set the crickets down with heavy sun

squeaks and whistles rattling every tree

i won’t back up ‘til the battle’s won 

and here I sit

come on let’s go out front ‘cause she’s only five 

or ten minutes away

(c) 2017, by Hannah Six

Image: KRiemer