THREE WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS

T'was three weeks before Christmas

And all through the town,

People wore masks,

That covered their frown.

The frown had begun

Way back in the Spring,

When a global pandemic 

Changed everything.

They called it corona,

But unlike the beer,

It didn’t bring good times,

It didn’t bring cheer.

Contagious and deadly,

This virus spread fast,

Like a wildfire that starts

When fueled by gas. 

Airplanes were grounded,

Travel was banned.

Borders were closed

Across air, sea and land.

As the world entered lockdown

To flatten the curve,

The economy halted,

And folks lost their verve.

From March to July

We rode the first wave

People stayed home,

They tried to behave.

When summer emerged

The lockdown was lifted.

But away from caution,

Many folks drifted. 

Now it’s December

And cases are spiking,

Wave two has arrived,

Much to our disliking.

Frontline workers,

Doctors and nurses 

Try to save people,

From riding in hearses.

This virus is awful,

This COVID-19.

There isn’t a cure.

Not yet a vaccine.

It’s true that this year

Has had sadness a plenty,

We’ll never forget

The year 2020.

And just ‘round the corner —

The holiday season,

But why be merry?

Is there even one reason

To decorate the house 

And put up the tree,

When no one will see it,

No one but me.

But outside my window

The winter now calls,

And I think to myself,

Let’s deck the halls!

So, I gather the ribbon,

The garland and bows,

As I play those old carols,

My happiness grows.

Christmas is not cancelled

And neither is hope.

If we lean on each other,

I know we can cope 

(I’d love to take credit for this poem, but the author is anonymous. My dear friend Lee Lytle sent it to me. I know it’s better than any words I could possibly write today.)