I am not in love with holidays
those times when families of every stripe
gather around the table, TV, a couch,
assemble the fixings for an outdoor picnic
at a nearby park with tubs of potato salad
and ribs marinating in someone’s special sauce.
I am not in love with holidays,
Facebook posts filled
with pictures of darling grandkids,
anniversaries and birthdays
with a three-layer cake
layered with raspberries and chocolate.
I am not fond of Mother’s or Father’s Day
or any other special day. Even Thanksgiving
makes my teeth clench. Let’s postpone
Christmas to the following year.
I can’t help it. Too many people left
before I was ready.
I’ve posted my own holiday calendar,
the first time I saw you at the movie theater,
or when I knew I was pregnant,
the birth of my children,
when I learned to swim, the taste
of salt on my lips.