The Perfect Gift

For Tom, 12:01 AM, December 25, 2012

This store of value unexcelled, and medium of exchange
which humankind for ages held, so Commerce can arrange
free market equilibrium.

It needs you at a minimum.

This steadfast friend both new and old, our help in times most drastic,
is sometimes silver, sometimes gold, sometimes made of plastic,
or paper with engravings,

for access to our savings.

 
And so we should admit that good is rooted deep in money;
the way we're paid our livelihood, with which the Easter Bunny
and Santa Claus buy eggs and toys
 
for all the little girls and boys.

 
Our Saviour, gentle meek and kind - would He be overjoyed
at gifts of cash at Christmastime, so givers could avoid
the mall and all its craziness?

Or would that just show laziness?

The Men's Book and Beer Club

Once a month on a Sunday evening

As the shadows draw longer and near

Some middle aged men get together

‘round a fully stocked cooler of beer

 

The cooler is loaded with beer

And the end table’s stacked with snacks

And the middle aged men have appeared

Determined to drink and relax

 

They drink and relax and crack up

and a humorous mood starts to spread

as the dead soldiers start to stack up

and they talk about what they’ve read

 

What they’ve read is a book of their choosing

To educate aging minds

Although they’re enamored of boozing

And telling tales tall as the pines

 

Tall tales like Liz Salander’s story.

Zafron’s Spanish surrealism sticked

In their heads, but “The Big Short” by Lewis

Was the best book this year that they picked.