every day now,
another one comes
with smiling faces
shot in happy places
filled with happy couples
looking devoid of troubles.

but an honest card came today
obstaining from
pictures,
places,
smiling faces;
speaking of
illness,
pain,
divorce,
death
hurrying to get through the letter
hurrying to get through the holidays
looking for hope in a new year
with no reason to hope that
anything will ever be any different.