‘Twas
the Night Before New Year’s, Twenty-Twenty-One,
And
all of us hoped the New Year would be one
That
would help us leave Two-Thousand-Twenty behind,
And
not be a year that would feel so unkind.
But
we would not soon forget Twenty-Twenty –
You
want a year full of events? We had plenty.
The
year started off in the usual way,
With
most of us living our lives day-to-day.
While
in Washington, in a show of overreach,
House
Democrats had cast a vote to impeach.
Never
mind that they hadn’t the grounds or the cause,
That
didn’t dissuade them, did not give them pause
No,
they had determined they must make a stand
Against
their arch-enemy, Bad Orange Man.
Predictably,
when all the votes had been tallied,
They
called to impeach. But the Senate then rallied,
And,
finding Schiff’s arguments lacking a bit,
Rendered
their votes on the case to acquit.
Congress
thus spent the first month of the year
Wasting
their time (which they’re best at, I fear).
Then
came a new month, and the Super Bowl,
Would
the Chiefs fin’lly achieve their loftiest goal?
It
had been 50 long years since Len Dawson’s team
Had
helped Kansas Citians realize their dream
Of
winning the Big One, of wearing the crown;
Would
this team repeat, or would they let us down?
The
Niners appeared impossible to beat –
Could
Andy Reid’s team really pull off this feat?
The
path had been arduous, testing our mettle,
We
came from behind time and again to settle
The
score in the playoffs, so we felt prepared
Our
confidence high, and our faith unimpaired.
In
the Big Game, we were trailing once more,
But
saved the fourth quarter to rally and score
Three
more touchdowns. And so, from down 20 to 10,
The
Chiefs emerged victorious in the end.
The
town, how it rallied! We held a parade,
So
happy our Champions all of us made!
The
euphoria felt it would last the whole year –
But
March Twenty-Twenty would dash our good cheer.
For
out of Wuhan, a Chinese province,
Would
come a new virus, one that would evince
Reactions
of fear, reactions of dread,
Reactions
of “Don’t believe what the news said.”
Did
it start in a lab? Or in a meat stall?
Did
a guy eat a raw bat, and unleash it all?
However
it started, it began to spread
As
the media helped to fill people with dread.
A
nationwide shutdown was soon in the works,
Championed
by Drs. Fauci and Birx.
“Flatten
the curve!” was the cry of the day,
But,
once accomplished, that goal soon gave way
To
making sure no one, the young or the old,
Would
become infected (with even a cold).
So,
locked in our houses, with masks on our faces,
We
had to stay home from our favorite places.
The
rules were confusing; the guidance, it varied –
“Why
the inconsistency?” many queried.
While
others were happy to follow along;
If
the CDC says it, it just can’t be wrong.
Mask
or no mask? Three feet distant, or six?
Should
I fear surface contact? The signals were mixed.
Is
it safe to eat indoors? Safer outside?
Safe
to go for a walk? In an airplane to ride?
Should
restaurants open at half-full, or less?
Can
we go to the gym? It was anyone’s guess.
Does
it spread more in churches? In bars or salons?
There
were myriad answers for how this thing spawns.
We
soon learned the safest place; really, the best
Place
to be – in a large crowd, a “peaceful” protest.
For
the virus can’t spread when you fight for a cause,
Especially
if it means getting your paws
On
a new pair of Nikes, a big-screen TV,
An
X-box, and maybe a new game or three.
And
maybe the virus is killed by the smoke
Of
businesses set on fire by the woke.
Amid
all the madness, the lack of all reason,
We
found ourselves in a strange election season.
One
candidate campaigned, the other was hidin’,
As
President Trump faced off against Joe Biden.
The
polls, they misled us, the media suppressed,
While
Facebook and Twitter did their very best
To
make sure the messaging all remained skewed,
Giving
their side the edge in the media feud.
Then
the rules were all changed for the way people vote
(The
virus was blamed – oh, we must stay remote!)
And
the votes, they kept coming, in every swing state,
‘Til
they put VP Biden on top of the slate.
The
courts washed their hands like old Pilate of yore,
And
it looked like Bad Orange Man would lead no more.
But
you didn’t see protests, you didn’t see looting,
The
lighting of fires, the litter, polluting,
No,
life would go on for those opposed to Joe,
Resolved
to make the best of where the winds blow.
(The
woke say our “privilege” makes us feel this way;
But
we’re just grown-ups, at the end of the day.)
And
as the year closes, a “miracle’s” come true:
A
vaccine is out! And not just one, but two!
As
the President promised, the end is at hand,
And
the grip of the ‘rona will soon leave our land.
(We’re
now also testing, so the ratios will fall,
As
state governments keep misleading us all
Into
thinking those rates were as dire as they told us,
Believing
we’d buy the BS that they sold us.)
So
be not discouraged, and be of good cheer,
And
let’s focus on making the coming year
Our
best ever. For, through it all, we are blessed,
So
yes, Twenty-Twenty-One can be our best.
Just
remember: it matters not what job you hold,
You
are essential. So be brave and bold.
Live
your life freely in this coming year,
Lest
you lose a year of it living in fear.
My
sincere wish for all, young or old, near or far,
Is
a prosperous New Year, whomever you are,
For
prosperity, see, isn’t measured in gold,
Nor
is it measured in what you can hold.
It’s
measured in memories, measured in love,
So
my wish for all is you have plenty of
The
things that make life joyful, full of good cheer,
The
things that can make for a wonderful year!
