Happy Holidays

Text:

© Grathy
Again the push and pull
of family squabbles
as we all gather for those
happy holidays,
too often accentuated
with arguing
and pretending that we get along.

I look back at family parties,
with all their inebriated tones,
when I sat
at the tiny card table-
four legs and a square
keeping the children in place.

Divorced from the adults
in the other room,
and their real family…cocktails…

Some empty, some full,
some sprawled across the table
like dead soldiers
red, white and brown stains
bleeding into the fabric.

And I’d observe,
as one relative after another
pointed fingers,
screamed,
before someone would stand,
soon slamming the door behind them.

Just light a cigarette
and pretend nothing happened…
change the subject
and move one

And now, years later,
I see the same thing happening
again.

It's like an old record
that skips on the needle.

A familiar obligation
to pretend that we like one another
as we repeat our parent’s flaws
between stale bites of dried turkey
and dressing

Even the fruit cake tastes better
than witnessing all of this.

Let’s have another cocktail
and pat ourselves on the back
with all this holiday cheer
as yet another wounded sibling
gets in the car and drives away.