Christmas Elegy at the Mall

a red wagon and video games and a baby brother and another puppy (the one I have’s grown up and harder to carry) and snow on Christmas and the day after (so maybe we won’t have to go shopping) and a snow day tomorrow and a big TV that will fill up a wall in my room and Legos for Star Wars and Harry Potter and enough left over so I can make a Bat-Cave and a cell phone I can look at ‘cause I know my folks won’t let me use it and the part I want in the Christmas play and a tree that hits the ceiling (which is what my father usually gets) and lights on the tree and the paper-mache ornament I made to look like a pear (you know, from the song—and it sorta looks like a pear) and lights outside the house and around the window in my room so I can look at the lights at night and for my sister to be good (I’m already good) and lots of the cookies I like (the kind with icing and Red-Hots—you know, what I leave for you) and just one big candy cane for me and anybody else who wants one

and

and

and

and—you know what, big guy, forget all that

just bring my mom home safe from the war