Thanksgiving Leftovers
anxiety / relief / dirty dishes / full bellies / empty promises / tenderness / replays / exhaustion / unedited photos / new jokes / congealed gravy bowls / pie / underappreciation / gratitude / Saran Wrap / half-burned candles / leaf piles / nostalgia / sweet tea / mesquite-smoked turkey / uncorked wine / hangovers / voicemail / hope / silent family tension / joy / crushed cigarette butts / awe / heartfelt prayers / overfilled trash bins / peace / worn-out welcomes / love
Author’s note: This poem distills the quiet aftermath of a family gathering into an inventory of emotions and objects. Through slash-cut fragments, the poem captures fullness and fatigue, gratitude and disappointment, reverence and resentment. The list form mirrors cluttered memory, honoring tenderness without sentimentality and finding peace amid tension, exhaustion, and love after the guests go home.
“The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.”
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