Cashier says, “Merry Christmas!” like she’s on a TV show, half-dead eyes and plastic smile, I just nod and mumble “sho.” If joy was on a discount, I still couldn’t make it mine, I’m broke in every pocket, but the jokes still pay on time. Hell with your holidays, I’m the Grinch on unemployment. Keep your jingle, keep your joy, I’m allergic to enjoyment. Hell with your holidays, you can toast to “brand-new you”, I’ll be here with the same old blues, wonderin’ who you’re lying to. Lady at the post office, “Happy New Year, sweet dear!” If last year was a trailer, this one’s the sequel nobody wants to hear. Cousin texts me once a year, “Love ya bro, you good?” If love was beer, that message wouldn’t even leave the hood. Hell with your holidays, same wishes, copy–paste. “Better days are coming”, GPS says “Wrong place.” Hell with your holidays, you say “Next year’s gonna shine”, but every year’s a rerun with a cheaper bottle of wine. Internet strangers sending hearts, memes screaming “new year, new me”, I can’t find the new in nothing, just more ads and less for free. If hope was cryptocurrency, man, I’d lost that password too, so I cash out in sarcasm, that’s the only thing that grew. Pharmacist says “Season’s greetings”, slides my pills across the glass, “Well, cheers to mental health,” I say, “and to my overdraft, alas.” They say “Age just makes you wiser”, I say “Older, broke, and slow”, if this is wisdom, honey, I’d like a refund on this show. Hell with your holidays, hang your joy up on a nail. If this is “fresh new start”, why’s it feel like clearance sale? Hell with your holidays, you go dance and play along, I’ll sit here and laugh-cry softly with this sad, ridiculous song.
