SANTATOWN
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?
Joanna Gilman Hyde 