seasonal

as usual, with all its preparations,

its promotions,

no one’s surely to miss its grand opening

waving its magic wand at us,

charging with its flag, its hidden bayonet,

here it comes with its company of birds

& saddlebags of hope,

its spoils of war,

with the promises it won’t be able to keep

its traveling theater & other attractions

to make fools of us,

convince you & me once more

to contribute to the cause,

to the same iffy foundation

here it comes with its make-believe, eye candies,

its pollen & other additives or preservatives

if we don’t consent,

if we first read the fine print

brought to us in part by the sun, the earth,

by higher local taxes

& a number of infomercials or subliminal messages

to warm up the feelings or the blues

& pile or hang some more questions on us,

troubleshoot what went wrong,

what we didn’t do right in its absence

here it comes with its optimism to cheer,

to jeer,

to hotwire in jest pessimism   

c. a. campos, 2011