The Past

.

Winter in Holland: photo by Leonard Freed (1929-2006), 1964; image by RachelRiley, 15 May 2013

There is no such thing 
as a clean break

with the past

Chase it off, it comes sneaking 
straight back

much as a blindly loyal

companion, whose 
company one had never quite earned

and does not wish to keep

[Untitled]: photo by Alyona Surikot (surikodt), 26 November 2013

[Untitled]: photo by Alyona Surikot (surikodt), 21 November 2013

Myth

.

III: photo by Petros Kotzabasis (pkomo), 11 February 2006

Some out of fashion goddesses and gods  
made clay replicas of themselves
and called them their children

and threw them into the fire

then went away
and when they came back later

it seemed the curse had been lifted

for it was quiet throughout the village

apart from the familiar sounds

of the traditional work continuing on

6173: photo by Petros Kotzabasis (pkomo), 24 October 2008

Words

.

Intersection, Helvetia, Oregon: photo by Austin Granger, 23 December 2013

Even in the middle of nowhere

there are words

Great Trees, Helvetia, Oregon: photo by Austin Granger, 13 December 2013

Words turn a nowhere into a putative somewhere

Animals, Helvetia, Oregon: photo by Austin Granger, 14 December 2013

Like the arena exhortation at sports events to CHEER!

still flashing in the dark long after the partisans have departed

Credit Cards, Helvetia, Oregon: photo by Austin Granger, 14 December 2013

Styx

.

25: photo by Petros Kotzabasis (pkomo), 3 January 2012

Getting away with it's the easy part

But what comes later, the flight

Into incompatible identities

Taking shadows hostage

On the descent...

murder: photo by Petros Kotzabasis (pkomo), 5 January 2007
 

470: photo by Petros Kotzabasis (pkomo), 3 January 2012

Sliver

.

Two Windows (New York, New York): photo by Jim Rohan (LowerDarnley), 8 March 2013

So is it the thin

sliver of light, slicing

through the curtain

from the window

of the person confined

in the equally dark house

next door

............that puts

the dread

of the lid
being closed

over one

into the mind

without a word

being said

across the slender divide

narrowing alley

crack of brightness between

still

solid masses
of trees, converging

overhead must be

even darker down there

in the shadows someone

absent

who wanted to speak

The Summer Sun #2 (Lower Darnley, Prince Edward Island, Canada): photo by Jim Rohan (LowerDarnley), 18 October 2013

eating rats: photo by robert holmgren (menlo), 16 October 2013

Nightly Encounter

.

Nightly Encounter: photo by Michel Hummel (Spitting Doc), 29 November 2013

so little time left now
and the double that walks beside
this vague luminous figure
materializing from night vapors

is a prisoner of memory

Citizen Kane and his Chinese Cup of Mercy: photo by Michel Hummel (Spitting Doc), 2 February 2013

Santafied

.

Santa 2011-12-10 at 10-20-20 (Niles, Michigan): photo by David Cory, 10 December 2011
 

Santa. Merry Christmas, y'all!: photo by efo, 8 December 2009
 

Bell street santa 2007: photo by shannon richardson (e l e c t r o l i t e), 24 December 2007
 

Santa #2. Boston, Massachusetts. Merry Christmas everyone: photo by Jim Rohan (LowerDarnley), 24 May 2012
 

Santa Claus, Seattle, 1956: photographer unknown (Seattle Municipal Archives)
 

Christmas 'Santa', New York. Sign reads: "34 West 28th Street, New York City Volunteers of America Under President and Mrs. Ballington Booth [will give?] Christmas Dinners [...]00 Men, Women and Children [...] by dropping a coin in the chimney.": photographer unknown for Bain News Service, between c. 1910 and c. 1915 (George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress)
 

Vivien and Chris visit Santa at Chiesman's Department Store in Lewisham, December 1957: photographer unknown; image by Soggy Semolina, 19 April 2009

Viv and Doreen visit Santa at Chiesman's Department Store in Lewisham, December 1964: photographer unknown; image by Soggy Semolina, 19 April 2009

Hello Santa (Racine, Wisconsin, 1954): photographer unknown; image by Jan Tonnesen, 25 November 2006
 

Father Frizzybeard: photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Alli Hammond (allihead), 25 September 2007

 
hillbilly santa: photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Alli Hammond (allihead), 25 September 2007

worst santa ever: photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Alli Hammond (allihead), 25 September 2007

 Santa Claus. Children had to disguise themselves for Santa Claus visitation (the most popular costume was "Zorro"; when I had costume ball in kindergarden, there was something about ten Zorros including me): photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Jakub (filmarik), 14 November 2003
 

 Santa Claus: Ho, ho, ho. Have you been good, little baker?: photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Jakub (filmarik), 14 November 2003
 

 Santa Claus. The Middle East modeI: photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Jakub (filmarik), 17 May 2006
 

 Santa Claus. "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, cry if I want to...": photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Jakub (filmarik), 17 May 2006
 

 Santa Claus. In my opinion he couldn't move so as not to spill himself: photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Jakub (filmarik), 14 November 2003
 

 Santa Claus in a vacant lot, Boonville Road, Jefferson City, Missouri, c. early 1930s: photographer unknown; image by PaintedWorksbyKB, 15 December 2011

Santa as crazed leprechaun and homeless companion: photo by efo, 13 December 2009

Santa (Santa Claus, Arizona): photo by efo, 18 December 2011

Plastic Santa. Taken on the territory of Christmas Island: photo by efo, 21 December 2010
 

The Clausbillies: photo by Radio Rover, 9 December 2006
 

Home Invasion. My wife thinks guy is cute, but it creeps me out to have him sitting across the room from me: photo by David Cory, 22 November 2009
 

A and P Coffee Santa Claus: photo by Nickolas Muray (b. Mandi Miklós) (1892-1945), c. 1940; image by RasMarkley (George Eastman House)
 

Creepy Santa (at the North Pole Amusement Park adjacent to the entrance to Pike's Peak): photo by David Cory, 19 May 2010
 

Stop or the Fat Guy Gets It!!: photo by David Cory, 30 July 2009

Santa Rampage in Chicago: photo by patrickryanzero, 9 December 2000

Santa Spotted. On his way to work? Xmas Eve (Little Addington, UK): photo by Marble Giant, 24 December 2007

Santa will be late this year after getting baled up in a paddock on a private property along Coolart Rd, Mornington Peninsula: photo by Frankzed, 10 December 2012

Fremont Santa and Cone Fries (Seattle): photo by David (alternatePhotography), 13 January 2012
 

Crash Site. Another timely Christmas shot. Two months early. Wakefield, Massachusetts: photo by Jim Rohan (LowerDarnley), 3 February 2011



tiny santa 2007: photo by shannon richardson (e l e c t r o l i t e), 17 December 2007
 

 santa mask 2006: photo by shannon richardson (e l e c t r o l i t e), 24 December 2006

Santa. Christmas is over: photo by efo, 11 January 2009

Sharing photos with Santa Claus (Lowell, Massachusetts): photo by robert schneider (rolopix), 30 November 2013
 

2013 Coca-Cola Santa Claus, backlit, Rio de Janeiro: photo by José Rottberg, 21 November 2013

 Santa Claus Advertising: artist unknown, n.d.; image by Susan Criser (Suzee Que), 17 December 2009

Santa Claus, Stone Bridge, Regensburg, Bavaria: photo by elPadawan, 8 December 2012



Noel: photo by efo, 17 December 2013
 

Santa 2011-12-10 at 10-22-58 (Niles, Michigan): photo by David Cory, 10 December 2011