I

The Nutcrackers sate by a plate on the table,
  The Sugar-tongs sate by a plate at his side;
And the Nutcrackers said, 'Don't you wish we were able
  'Along the blue hills and green meadows to ride?
'Must we drag on this stupid existence for ever,
  'So idle so weary, so full of remorse,--
'While every one else takes his pleasure, and never
  'Seems happy unless he is riding a horse?

II

'Don't you think we could ride without being instructed?
  'Without any saddle, or bridle, or spur?
'Our legs are so long, and so aptly constructed,
  'I'm sure that an accident could not occur.
'Let us all of a sudden hop down from the table,
  'And hustle downstairs, and each jump on a horse!
'Shall we try? Shall we go! Do you think we are able?'
  The Sugar-tongs answered distinctly,'Of course!'

III

So down the long staircase they hopped in a minute,
  The Sugar-tongs snapped, and the Crackers said 'crack!'
The stable was open, the horses were in it;
  Each took out a pony, and jumped on his back.
The Cat in a fright scrambled out of the doorway,
  The Mice tumbled out of a bundle of hay,
The brown and white Rats, and the black ones from Norway,
  Screamed out, 'They are taking the horses away!'

IV

The whole of the household was filled with amazement,
  The Cups and the Saucers danced madly about,
The Plates and the Dishes looked out of the casement,
  The Saltcellar stood on his head with a shout,
The Spoons with a clatter looked out of the lattice,
  The Mustard-*** climbed up the Gooseberry Pies,
The Soup-ladle peeped through a heap of Veal Patties,
  And squeaked with a ladle-like scream of surprise.

V

The Frying-pan said, 'It's an awful delusion!'
  The Tea-kettle hissed and grew black in the face;
And they all rushed downstairs in the wildest confusion,
  To see the great Nutcracker-Sugar-tong race.
And out of the stable, with screamings and laughter,
  (Their ponies were cream-coloured, speckled with brown,)
The Nutcrackers first, and the Sugar-tongs after,
  Rode all round the yard, and then all round the town.

VI

They rode through the street, and they rode by the station,
  They galloped away to the beautiful shore;
In silence they rode, and 'made no observation',
  Save this: 'We will never go back any more!'
And still you might hear, till they rode out of hearing,
  The Sugar-tongs snap, and the Crackers say 'crack!'
Till far in the distance their forms disappearing,
  They faded away.--And they never came back!

I went Christmas decoration shopping with a friend the other day

I couldn’t decide on a tree
Or any type of ribbon
I don’t have the space for it
But I wanted the spirit

We went to a different store
The pressure was on
My friend was waiting for me to pick something
After all this was my idea

There were a bunch of nutcrackers on display
Soldiers of giant wooden jaws
And glittered capes
Some of light and dark skin

I stared at one enough until I liked it
It had a chip on its nose
My friend quickly found another like it
It was normal, no chip

I looked at both
I took the one with the chipped nose home

Later in the night
The day ran through me
Like a movie

With no sound
No plot
No pulse
Just movement
No lips
No tongue
My face broken
I bared no teeth to
Ward off such bad spirits

Another day where time
Had no currency
I had so much of it
But it was buying me nothing

Just a feeble, muted sentinel
Of impossible peace
How do dreams come alive
when the duel is against me

reduced, and knowing how you like your nuts,                                           i bought them.

the small boy chuckled.

radio four this morning, suggested dropping ***** ( another laugh, small child) notice that mistakes do not **** us,                                        mortified though we can be in error.



i have worked this way a while for interest, and am still awake and                breathing.



this morning i forgot a while,   radio waves me back on track.                    i have mended

the plate, my fingers

stick.



sbm.

in elementary school we were told
to write interesting facts about ourselves
on the first day, to get to know one another
and at that time the only things i could think of
were that i collected nutcrackers
and had many siblings
i see myself in better lighting now
hello, i am emily
my middle name is kane,
my great grandmother's surname,
and i take pride in it
my fingers shake when i explain things
that i don't understand myself
and my legs shake on their own time
that's the quirk of a chronic tic
i draw to express myself to myself
and to show off
and to be better than the girl i met in the third grade
who painted a sunset
just a sunset
and all my friends ooh'd and ahh'd
and i sat there, confused
if savannah could paint a sunset
and get such a reaction,
then watch out world.
here i am, painting roses and butterflies and cartoons
on the cardboard backings of old spiral notebooks
i found in my closet
and leaving my sloppy signature in sea-foam green
on the corner and in the back of
my mind
and smudged on the side of my left hand
i have a scar on my cheek
from getting just too close to a dog
and scars on my arms
from staying just too close to the edge
and playing mind games with myself
the kind in which neither of us
came out victorious
i like mozart and debussy
when i'm working
and gershwin and joplin
when i want to have fun
i write on the spot, spur of the moment and
my words don't seem to
fit on the paper in a way that pleases most
but i assure you, they speak volumes
in the middle of the night
when i lay in bed, pen in hand
anger in mind, worry in chest
i am in love with a boy who lives
far away though it seems
every night when we talk
he's right next to me
wrapping his arms around me,
binding us together and
keeping promises
and holding on to the
agreement we made
at twelve a.m.
i can sing and play instruments
and tell you anything you want to
know about the surrounding universe
or the Liverpudlian lads who
started a musical revolution
and taught me that
all you really did need was love
i read every day
from books that have been sitting on my shelves
every day for the past five years,
some even longer
when i sleep i snore
though i've heard that
it sounds like a cat
purring while being pet on the head
but i think that the most interesting
fact about me
is something that
has not come about just yet

I am wine in a jack-in-a-box cellar
Wonderlands, neverlands propelling in a boomerang war
Exalting stubborn as weeds in the gardens of well-tended graves
As far off as the most withered waves

I'll drop my roses of singularity
And let the world leap topsy turvy

Eyes turned upside down like folded floral peels before a fallen angel
Rubbing errant pointed brushes against an airy easel
The teapots are now dancing round rainbow tornadoes
Clocks reverse themselves in a scourge of a prose

I'll drop my roses of singularity
And let the world leap topsy turvy

Singing horses dallying kings and queens with whips of cod
Skinny, scorned nutcrackers lolly gagging for a later maraud
Spoons racing Jack and Jill down a spiny valley of prats
I'd shut them off, they come alive with vicious spats

I'll drop my roses of singularity
And let the world leap topsy turvy

My trappings with all things mad
Wafted me ajar a silvery smoke of sad
I breathe the clouds of my helter skelter
As if in every catatonic whir it flutters rises an answer

*I'll drop my roses of singularity
And let the world leap topsy turvy

The cuckoo swarms the honey pots
padlocked using a mosaic lock,
it flutters like destiny with the clouds
faster than the flies hovering the swamp
blindsided by the sweet shops an inch away,
housing the colorful lamps and steel plates  ,
from a distance the cycle bells ring
like bells on the clock tower
shimmering under the hot sun ,
the infant is way too messy,
dropping the nutcrackers on the floor
kissed by his feet, he spits words
of strange alphabets hung by a loose coil,
the follicles press the spiraled mat at the door
wetting the smooth passage ahead ,
thrown by the hand-hugged steel ,
near the moss, a cycle stands
pedaled by a sweaty labor
encrusted like turquoise shades on his surface,



The honey *** lies empty ~~~

Snow flakes dance and cover the dead leaves
Bringing brightness on the night before Christmas Eve
The cold is severe
But the crowd is overwhelmed with cheer
Red and green decorate cities and houses
While husbands wear the sweaters bought by their spouses
Lights and ornaments hang on the trees
Illuminating the holiday festivities
Voices of glee fill the night air
And children roam the parks without a care
Songs of delight travel through the masses
Love is savored while hate passes
Nutcrackers occupy window stills and keep guard
While snowmen are perched in yards
Parents list off who has been naughty or nice
As friends become lovers and skate on the ice
Little kids make angels in the snow
Ending the night in a neat little bow
We wrap our gifts and covet the day
The jolly man with the white beard comes our way

Time for pecan divinity and sassafras tea , for golden garland decorating mantel-shelves , hand stitched doilies and holiday serviettes , candlesticks , candy canes and peppermints .. German nutcrackers and Christmas tales , warm wine and sleigh bells* ...

We didn’t dwell on the streetlights,
Festooned with garland-strewn bells, ersatz nutcrackers,
The odd buoyant and ebullient snowman;
We were crossing the Hempstead Turnpike,
No task for the faint-hearted in bright light of midday,
Outright perilous on a late Friday evening
(Especially for those feeling the effects
Of an afternoon of social drinking
Which had gently spilled over into that good night.)
There were four of us—myself, and a Tehran-born trio
(Fun-loving, borderline jolly sorts,
A group of thin, dark Falstaffs, as it were)
Headed to a nearby off-campus bar,
Low-slung ranch-style edifice constructed on the Levittown model,
As non-descript and indistinguishable as its regular clientele,
Some of whom eyed us warily if not angrily,
Weighing the pros and cons of lobbing a comment in our direction
Before we headed to the “Downstairs Disco”
Which had been added, very grudgingly at that,
As a nod to the times and fiscal necessity.

In between ear-numbing bass lines
And the strobe light’s cornea-threatening ministrations,
We nursed significantly watered *****-and-tonics,
Smiled unsuccessfully at spike-heeled and Jordache-clad local girls
(Every bit as unwelcoming to clear outsiders
As their decidedly less glamorous counterparts upstairs)
And carried on brief, lightweight bits of conversation.
At one point I’d mentioned that I was looking forward to getting home
And partaking in some peace and quiet and home cooking
When suddenly, one of my companions
(A full-bearded sophomore named Anush,
Whose last name I never knew;
As his roommate Mossoud once told me,
Shaking his head and smiling,
You would never be able to pronounce it.)
Gave forth with a wail—full-throated, tear-stained
Pained to the point of being almost *******.
As I stared uncomprehendingly, Mossoud snapped at me
(His eyes thunderstorms, his words blunt as broadswords)
You! What do you understand of any of this?
And as he comforted Anush as best he could
(The music the volume of bombs,
Disco ball spitting light like tracer fire)
I began to suspect my relative uselessness
Was not simply the inability to comprehend Farsi

Sometimes I lie on that rug
Or in green grass
And inhale,
Inhale back to childhood days;
Some deep remembered scent
also  found
at the bottom of a sand bucket
Or in a cup of sweet tea on a cold autumn afternoon, outside.
At this time of year
I find myself being carried
By saudade
To nutcrackers and coloured lights
And the scent of cello tape and fresh paint.
Every tear wept happily
With memories of you.

Streets bustle with crowds of people filled with energy and excitement
Street corners become impassable because of large throngs of people
Trees are brightly lit for the season
Store windows are adorned with their best holiday decorations
Carolers and musicians can be heard along the streets
Giant nutcrackers adorn one building
Another with giant red ball ornaments
Street vendors sell their wares from cashmere scarves to boxed jewelry
Coffee stands are on every corner
Police line the streets to keep people moving along
The hotel bar areas fill to capacity with folks needing refreshment or a comfortable seat before finishing their shopping
Nothing like Christmas time in the city

Xmas in the city

Streets bustle with crowds of people filled with energy and excitement
The holiday is coming
Street corners become impassable
Because of large throngs of people trying to get somewhere fast
Trees decorated brightly and lit up for the season
Store windows adorned with holiday decorations
Coffee shops full of customers seeking warmth
Vendors selling coffee, hot chocolate and pretzels
Carolers and musicians out along the streets
Giant nutcrackers adorn and ornaments adorn a building
Holiday markets full of potential buyers
Street vendors sell their wares up and down the street
From cashmere scarves to boxed jewelry at a discount price
Radio City Music Hall is open for business
Police line the streets to keep people moving along
Hotel bars and restaurants filled to capacity
Taxis moving to and fro filled with fares
Horse drawn carriages offering rides around Central Park
Nothing like Christmas time in New York

Streets bustle with crowds of people walking to and fro filled with energy and excitement of the coming holiday

Christmas Time in New York

Diners and restaurants are full of hungry and thirsty shoppers

Christmas time in New York

Street corners become impassable because of the large throngs of people trying to get somewhere making the city look like a giant mosh pit

Christmas Time in New York

Trees are brightly light up for the season

Christmas Time in New York

Carolers and musicians can be heard along the streets playing to the beat

Christmas Time in New York

Giant nutcrackers adorn one building on 6th Avenue along with giant ornaments and strings of lights

Christmas Time in New York

Street vendors sell their wares up and down the street from cashmere scarves to boxed jewelry. Even movie scripts are for sale

Christmas Time in New York

Hundreds of Santas and elves move throughout the city spreading their holiday cheer

Christmas Time in New York

Tourists and residents participate in the 12 bars of Christmas bar crawl while strolling through the city

Christmas Time in New York

Lines go around the corner for the Radio City Christmas show

Christmas Time in New York

Police line the streets to keep people moving along putting up barricades to move the crowds

Christmas Time in New York

The Hilton Hotel bar area is filled to capacity with folks needing refreshment before finishing their shopping

Christmas time in New York

The tree at Rockefeller Center is fully decked out with lights and glitter

Christmas time in New York

The dance of the vultures o'er frosted red clay ,smoke swirling in the timid valley , ominous vibes in the winter grass alley ....
In the Principality of the Pulpwood Stumps
A wounded , worried lover's psyche tortured
Misty rain , copious memory hound weathered men and brothers
Barking corporals , leathered skin , soggy dens ..                                     Nutcrackers form a line , stand tall , call cadence then break into attention
Tight , bright , impeccably sutured uniforms crackle in the biting breeze , adorned in silver clasp with pink marble buttons securing slingshot munitions ...
With cherry cheeks a bugler splits the silence
The soldiers load their roscoe's
Keepers of the Grass hurl sweet gum cones
high into the orange eve
Locust spears guard fescue forts and hillside -
tunnels
Cracked corn funneled into hollow onion stems
The November battlefield looms dark and silent-
as the autumn bulb dims ...
A spiffy locust then proclaims from a tall tree
War is finished for you and me ..
The pasture of our forefathers shall be -
divided in thirds
A share for every mammal , insect and bird ...

Streets bustle with crowds of people walking to and fro filled with energy and excitement of the coming holiday
Street corners become impassable because of the large throngs of people trying to get somewhere making the city look like a giant mosh pit
Trees are brightly light up for the season
Carolers and musicians can be heard along the streets playing to the beat
Giant nutcrackers adorn one building on 6th Avenue along with giant ornaments and strings of lights
Street vendors sell their wares up and down the street from cashmere scarves to boxed jewelry
Hundreds of Santas and elves move throughout the city spreading their holiday cheer
Tourists and residents participate in the 12 bars of Christmas bar crawl while strolling through the city
Lines go around the corner for the Radio City Christmas show waiting for the next show
Cops line the streets to keep people moving along putting up barricades to move the crowds
The Hilton Hotel bar area is filled to capacity with folks needing refreshment before finishing their shopping
Nothing like Christmas time in New York……………

Streets bustle with crowds of people walking to and fro filled with energy and excitement of the coming holiday

Street corners become impassable because of large throngs of people trying to get somewhere fast, making the city look like a giant mosh pit

Trees are brightly light up for the season, store windows adorned with holiday decorations

Carolers and musicians can be heard along the streets playing and singing to the beat

Giant nutcrackers adorn one building on 6th Avenue along with giant ornaments and strings of lights

Street vendors sell their wares up and down the street from cashmere scarves to boxed jewelry at a discount price

Radio City has lines around the block of folks waiting to get in for their annual show of the Rockettes

Police line the streets to keep people moving along putting up barricades to move the crowds waiting for a performance

The hotel bar areas filled to capacity with folks needing refreshment or a comfortable seat before finishing their
shopping

Nothing like Christmas time in New York

Streets bustle with huge crowds of people walking to and fro filled with energy and excitement of the coming holiday
Street corners impassable because of the large throngs of people trying to get somewhere fast, making the city look like a giant mosh pit
Light snow gently falling to set the mood
Coffee shops full of shoppers seeking a quick cup or snack
Trees are brightly light for the season, some decorated.
Store windows adorned with beautiful holiday decorations
Holiday carolers and musicians can be heard singing along the streets
Giant nutcrackers adorn a building on 6th Avenue along with a selection of. giant red ornaments and strings of lights
Street vendors sell their wares up and down the streets from cashmere scarves to boxed jewelry at a discount price
Police line the streets to keep people moving along putting up barricades
to move the crowds
Hotel bar areas are filled to capacity with thirsty customers needing a refreshment or a comfortable seat
Nothing like Christmas time in the big city

Streets bustle with crowds of people walking to and fro filled with energy and excitement
Street corners become impassable because of large throngs of people trying to get somewhere fast, making the city look like a giant mosh pit
Trees are brightly lit for the season
Store windows are adorned with their best holiday decorations

Xmas in the city

Carolers and musicians can be heard along the streets
Giant nutcrackers adorn one building
Another with giant red ball ornaments
Street vendors sell their wares from cashmere scarves to boxed jewelry at a discount price
Coffee stands are on every corner offering a quick hot drink

Xmas in the city

Police line the streets to keep people moving along putting up barricades to move the crowds
The hotel bar areas filled to capacity with folks needing refreshment or a comfortable seat before finishing their shopping
Nothing like Christmas time in the city

Xmas in the city

Streets bustle with crowds of people walking to and fro filled with energy and excitement of the coming holiday

Street corners become impassable because of large throngs of people trying to get somewhere fast, making the city look like a giant mosh pit

Trees are brightly light up for the season, store windows adorned with holiday decorations

Carolers and musicians can be heard along the streets playing to the beat

Giant nutcrackers adorn one building on 6th Avenue along with giant ornaments and strings of lights

Street vendors sell their wares up and down the street from cashmere scarves to boxed jewelry at a discount price

Radio City has lines around the block of folks waiting to get in for their annual show of the Rockettes

Police line the streets to keep people moving along putting up barricades to move the crowds

The hotel bar areas filled to capacity with folks needing refreshment or a comfortable seat before finishing their shopping

Nothing like Christmas time in New York