Christmas Woes (2021)

Crestfallen faces don their daily front,
A strained smile accompanied by rehearsed lines  
As if recorded in case of small talk.  
 
Dollar store missions become windows for idle pondering  
That turns into questioning their very existence,  
Brought on by the smallest things:
 
A can of cranberry sauce or an extra extension cord that's naught to be found, so simple yet so central.
 
Or
 
Reaching for a loved ones favorite candy
Just to realize it was only a reflex,  
And waves of grief rise up to consume.  
 
There's tired eyes and burdened hearts this Christmas,  
Disheartened by empty shelves, trials, and tribulations  
That shake their lives down to the core of everything they exist for.  
 
At still, some believe Christmas is only for children,
When these days a little miracle and magic  
Is what our souls are starving for.