In All Our Trials

by Susan Shea (December 2023)

A little survey revealed that most
people choose the word dread over
the word joy to describe the holidays
–
making me feel better about myself
making me want to get a hold of those
joy recipes as soon as I can, to rustle up
–
those ingredients I should keep in my house
–
but who can assure me that all of us
involved would be willing to fit into those
pre-ordained spaces in those cupcake pans
–
and how many different kinds of sugar
and sugar coated substitutes will I need
to spread into icing over all the
baggage-shaped cookies sitting in the room
–
aiming to make the sad eyes smile
through all the wrappings
–
I want to fall on my knees and hear
the angel voices
I’ll keep trying if you keep joining me

Table of Contents

Susan Shea is a retired school psychologist who was raised in New York City, and is now living in a forest in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Since she has returned to writing poetry this year, her poetry has been accepted in a few dozen publications, including Feminine Collective, Ekstasis, Persimmon Tree Literary Magazine, and The Avalon Literary Review.

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