30:30 2014, Day 12

Emotika

In the Fall the people took
golden sheaves or a fat ewe
to the feet of the Hills of Feeling
and burnt them to find favor
with the emotions they'd need
in the coming year. The new-moon
grin of Happiness of course,
and Anger's chevron brow. They'd heap
ripe fruit before Smirk, Wink, and Wag-
tongue with prayers for a heartful
of Glib Reproach's trinity. You have

a question, and the answer is this:
almost to a one, the people set aside
a paschal piece, small but fine,
for Sadness. Each recalled
the callow teenaged year they failed
to offer at the collapsed umbrella
of Her altar. The roof of Her
temple was ever black with soot.