T’was a month 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 November,
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,
There is no 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 snow gently falls,
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 ain’t cancelled,
And neither is hope,
If we lean on each other,
I know we can cope.
By: Shawna Hickling, Calgary, AB, Canada