How the Virus Stole Christmas (With apologies to Dr. Seuss)
Everyone
On the planet
Liked Christmas a lot…
But the coronavirus of 2020
Did NOT!
The virus hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
If you’re wondering why….humankind was the reason!
He hated the happiness found in their homes.
He hated the carols and warm Christmas poems.
He hated the love that was seen in their eyes.
He hated the joy of each Christmas surprise.
But perhaps what the virus hated more than the rest
Was that Christmas would often bring out their best!
And so he determined to work hard all year
To stop Christmas from coming and end all the cheer.
He crept into countries and made people sick
He filled all the hospitals and did it real quick.
He said, “This will undoubtedly get on their nerves!”
“I’ll make them stay home to flatten the curves!”
So he shut down their airlines, their movies, their stores,
He closed all the restaurants—even schools shut their doors!
He made folks work from home (those who still had a job)
And he thought social distance would make people sob!
Isolation, mortality, quarantines too
Were among his tactics, to name just a few.
“This pandemic,” he thought “isn’t such a hard task.”
And he laughed when the people began to wear masks.
“Hooray!” cried the virus. “I’ve created such fear”
“There will be no Christmas celebration this year!”
“They can’t have their parties! They can’t go to church!”
“They can’t get together with their Uncle Lurch!”
It was quarter past dawn…
Everyone still in bed.
As the virus pressed in and continued to spread.
“Pooh-Pooh to those humans!” he was viciously humming.
“They’re finding out now that no Christmas is coming!”
“They’re just waking up! I know just what they’ll do!
“Their mouths will hang open a minute or two
“Then the whole world together will all cry BOO-HOO!
“That’s a noise, sneered the virus,
“That I simply MUST hear!”
So he paused. And the virus put a hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the woe.
It started in low. Then it started to grow…
But the sound wasn’t sad!
Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn’t be so!
But it WAS merry! VERY!
Everyone on the planet, the tall and the small,
Was singing out loud, inspite of it all!
He HADN’T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the virus, all spikey as viruses go,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: “How could it be so?”
“It came without concerts! It came without health!”
“It came without gatherings, travel or wealth!”
And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the virus thought of something he hadn’t before!
“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, simply can’t be ignored
“Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means something more!”
And what happened then…?
Well…the people found peace
And everywhere hope began to increase.
No matter our prospects, no matter the times,
Christmas is greater than presents and rhymes.
Christmas can’t be snatched away
The gift of Jesus is ours today.
So let our hearts be open wide
Holding hope and joy inside
Freely giving lots of love
And always thanking God above
No matter what may come our way
Let’s all celebrate Christmas Day!