Why can't we just... | poeticjustice

Can’t we just say “Merry Christmas” without thinking about privilege?

Or

Remembering to say “Happy Holidays” requires too much thought and I was just trying to be nice

at the obligatory Christmas party

that we're not even pretending

isn't a Christmas party

by calling it a “Holiday party”

(except on the official email entitled

“HOLIDAY PARTY INFO!!!”),

that encouraged us

all

to wear ugly

Christmas sweaters,

because they would be

judged,

you ask me about my

plans for the upcoming weekend.

“Oh”, is your curt reply

when I tell you that

my family

also celebrates

Hanukkah -

looking at me

in that

disapproving way

that lets me know

you probably just

imagined me

slapping

Jolly Old St. Nick.

I mean he IS

the true symbol

of Christmas,

afterall.

“I didn’t know you were

Jewish…”

say “Because you’re Black”.

you know you want to.

I always wanted

to go to Hebrew School

for some reason,

so I figured

what the hell,

I'll convert.

or adopt

Jewish children.

you’re not doing a great job

hiding your judgement.

maybe it's just my lack of

ugly Christmas sweater.

you laughingly ask me

if we also celebrate

Kwanzaa.

“I do”, I say,

pretending

not to get the joke.

“Oh”, you mutter

(again)

before suddenly

remembering

that you

better check out the desserts

before they're all gone.

“Of course”,

I say with a smile,

even though we both know

that there's no danger

of running out of desserts

at a Christmas party.

I stifle the urge to whisper,

“I'm also queer”,

just to see

what would happen.

31 December 2016