Carol   Things to purchase, things to clean Messing up my work routine Sick of too much information Choking on my obligations Life grinds to a screeching halt Why is Christmas all my fault?   Too much hassle, too much greed Too much turning want to need Too much phony Yuletide cheer Too much eggnog, too much beer Too much whisky, single malt Why is Christmas all my fault?   Weather cold and getting colder Bones are brittle, getting older Traffic’s bad throughout the city ’Tis the season for self-pity Roads are thick with ice and salt Why is Christmas all my fault?     © Michael Fleming Brattleboro, Vermont January 2015