Joanna Gilman Hyde

The Tomato-coloured Couch 11:11am

The President of The United States

read The List

The Roll Call

of names like

Jessica, Caroline

Noah, Jack & Madeline

He capped His Speech

with The Twenty Children

Who won’t be

on Santa’s List

ever again —

through the violent actions of an unknown gunman

They have been spared

Santa’s meddling hand

Santa’s sly whispers

spared from a society’s — what?

blind celebration?

from Society Itself?