Another yule

Another Yule


“Jingle bells”- “I’m dreaming of…” waft endlessly through
The supermarket and will do so for weeks; christmas is here
This time of banalities and forced goodwill, I only came here
To buy a pound of potatoes and was wished a happy Sunday
By a check-out girl dressed in a smart santa outfit and a smile
That didn’t reach her tired, soft bambi eyes; she was dying
For a break, a cup of coffee, and a quick drag of a cigarette.

There were beddings for sale at greatly reduced prices, but
Who wants a double-bed flannel sheet for Christmas? Mind,
It could be used to wrap around the baby in the arms of
The young gypsy woman breast feeding her child and begging
At the door of this Aladdin’s cave; this grand daughter of
Holocaust survivors, who never exploited their suffering; and
No remorse, no collective guilt ever sanctified them.