December 26

December 26th is
the most dreaded
day of the year.
All the anticipation
of Christmas
has now passed.
The turkey stuffed,
cooked and consumed.
Tins of cookies devoured,
packages ripped apart,
wine bottles drained—
bellies full and
waistlines expanded.

It’s back to work,
with a fat credit card
statement delivered
securely to your inbox.
And yes, you can still say
“Happy Holidays,”
but it doesn’t have
the same ring
on the day
after Christmas.
And New Year’s Day
is a distant cousin
of Christmas—
with January 1st
lacking the allure
and magic of
December 25th.