The signs
they hold up
say

homeless
helpless
hopeless

Many include a sketch
of a Christmas tree or say
Merry Christmas as well

They stand upon
the entrance ramps to
malls and big box stores

where shoppers have to wait
to get into the lot and when 
a signer passes their car

they look away or discard 
a quick buck out the window
then roll it up 

to keep private heat
and the hallelujah chorus 
in the car

and no better than that look at me
dropping a heavy metaphor obviously
onto this from on high

as if it ever matters what parallel 
anyone draws about jesus
blah blah blah

joseph and mary
blah blah blah
no room at the blah blah blah

merry christmas
or whatever you got
to offer

in light of the sight 
of her wet blue eyes
above her sign

his beard
combed out for the season
above his sign

the people
queued up
below commerce’s sign

tomorrow never comes
without posting a sign
of its arrival

regardless
of hopeful prophecy
blah blah blah