It's Still Life

This is Nico, he’s 4, and he wants to know why that woman is pretending to be Santa Claus, and why she’s jingling a bell at everyone who walks by.

I tell him that the woman is collecting money for charity, for people who haven’t enough money for toys if they buy food, or no money for food if they heat their home.

And he says, Nana, can I give the Santa lady some money?

And I ask him if he has money, and he says, No, Papa says I have to save all my money.

So I search myself for coinage for his small hands.

I turn around, and Nico’s asking if he can use the Santa lady’s bell so he can collect some money.

Some artwork is created using Midjourney AI, and is identified as such in the ALT text or captioned. Imagery and poems/prose ©Misky 2023.