Having another pandemic year under our belts, I thought it necessary to modify last year's version of this poem to remind us all that what we cherish in our hearts can never be taken from us.
Once again, my apologies to Dr. Seuss.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
How the Virus Stole Christmas 2021
Everyone
On the planet
Liked Christmas a lot…
But the lingering COVID virus
Did NOT!
The virus hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
He didn’t like people…and that 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 places he hadn’t before
And changed into variants they could not ignore.
He laughed at vaccines and shots for the flu
He now was called Delta and Omicron too!
He spread waves of fear throughout the land
And tried to make his contagions expand.
He saw that economies had taken a turn
And jumped at the chance to add concern.
A shortage of workers, and prices sky-high
Would help the virus make people cry.
With shipping a mess, things ordered online
Would likely be late for Christmastime!
And what about presents from stores with bare shelves?
A crisis too big even for Santa’s elves!
He made sure he appeared every night on the news
With so much mixed info sure to confuse.
He restricted their travel to places abroad
And tried to distract them from trusting their God.
He kept people sick and hospitals full
He wanted this Christmas to be nothing but DULL.
“This pandemic,” he thought “isn’t such a hard task.”
And he laughed as the people continued to wear masks.
“Hooray!” cried the virus. “I’ve heightened their fear”
“There will be no Christmas celebration this year!”
“They won’t have their presents! They won’t go to church!”
“They’ll cower and wait for new virus research!”
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 travel! It came without health!”
“It came without packages, money 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…there was joy and 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 here to stay!
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 us always celebrate Christmas Day!