Then

Sadness sets in after overeating and bloat
can someone be hungry?

the full stomach does not believe the empty one is a phrase my dad always said
he never explained it
he would simply quote the saying
letting us stew about it

the holidays reinforce
the haves and the have nots

the celebrating season begins and we feast and gather with those who are close to us
the bounty fills the cornicopia while the hearth warms the skin

we sit at a table filled
again the unconscious enters with thoughts
of the less fortunate
we give thanks for our bounty and sample all of it

a day of feasting celebrating our good fortune and bounty
odd
like counting our money and spending some of it because we have it

of course, the pilgrims celebrated the passing of hardship
the struggle to cross the pond
build a new abode
and provide for the future

some people have hardship all their lives
some people have hunger all their lives
some people have want all their lives

here there is much to be grateful for, for most of us
with hard times looming
slow growth and lack of opportunity
we will be tested as a nation
our land of haves will shrink
and our resolve will be tried
we will see if our land of plenty has prepared us for perhaps a land of less
most assuredly a land of more competition for limited resources
can we as a nation build a new nation with less chaos and more community
we shall se