i took a pill at noon instead of nine
so an astronaut blew up in space on christmas.
a child let go of a red balloon
then my mother planted marigolds
next to begonias.

we are what we eat we are where we sleep—
a boy ate one jellybean on christmas morn’.
i took a pill at nine instead of noon.
if jingle bells is a love song then call me dasher
dancer prancer and vixen.

space landed in the garden
so my mother moonwalked to the pharmacy
with a bunch of begonias,
which exploded tinsel.
i took a pill at ten instead of two.

a balloon took hydrogen, not helium
and my head came off,
floated and blew up in space.
wassail rained out the remaining neck.
smithereens of jawbone were found in the alley
behind Rite Aid with my mother’s flowers.

i took a pill straight in the gullet.
those still with their heads
caroled as needed.

Elyse Hart is a poet, songwriter, and composer residing in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in The Nervous Breakdown with work forthcoming in The Los Angeles Press. Her first chapbook will be released by Subphonic Press in 2020. Find more of Elyse’s work on Instagram at @elysehartpoetry.