Wednesday, December 11, 2019

day ONE THOUSAND and FIFTY SIX


Santa’s Walk of Shame

It’s Santacon in San Francisco.
Fat and skinny millennial Kringles,
slutty elves, rowdy reindeer
pub crawl along Van Ness Avenue
on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

They cram into, spill out
of tiny neighborhood bars.
Board converted buses
festooned with red and green upholstery,
fuzzy white fur headrests,
multi-colored twinkle lights.

By evening, broken bottles,
impressionistic bursts
of technicolor vomit
decorate sidewalks.
Abandoned beards and bells
join downtown detritus.

The following morning,
a hungover, disheveled Santa,
scarlet pants at half-mast,
staggers his walk of shame
through dim light, drifting mist,
back to an angry Mrs. Claus
who seethes in a seedy hotel.

--Jennifer Lagier

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