a sock filling with rice

          dry, to be precise

tie off the base

          a carrot glued to his face

 

head past the christmas colors

          towards all the kids’ mothers

one isn’t there

          one with short brown hair

 

a man takes her place

          a man to replace

 

a snowman of rice

          is sacrificed

to the tile

          in its space, a bright-eyed smile

 

a lady asks daddy,

what do you do? what is your job?

          where is your wife? she forgot?

 

she turns to me,

why isn’t your mommy here?

          don’t you wish she would appear?

 

no, i don’t even care

          i would much rather breathe my daddy’s air