christmas eve in california

someone asked me to send them a picture
of what christmas looked like in california
and all i could do is say it looks the
same as everywhere else...
a woman on the corner
with a sign
asking for
milk
for
her
children
and car after car
driving by
in a hurry
to not miss
that last
sale
for
that
last
stocking
stuffer
that
is
bound
to
make
all
the
difference.
each
one
moving
along
blinded
by
a
rationalization
called
distrust
and
watching
out
for
their
own
and
what
i chose to do
is between me and the sky and the street that guides me
back to wait for santa claus, alone, with a glass of
cheap wine, and the hopes of at least getting
a note that will say...maybe next year.
and that will be ok for now.