The world needs a pandemic carol, and I’m convinced you do as well, and that everyone you know does too. Well, it just so happens that a friend wrote one. With her permission, here it is, direct to you from Duluth, Minnesota.
Christmas 2020
Bring on a brighter year
by Jane Whitledge
Hark! The herald angels sing,
We’re tired of social distancing!
What can I say of such a year,
Except “good riddance, disappear!”
Don’t come back with your virus
Now go away, no more to tire us—
We’re weary of this isolation
Impatient for real celebration!
Each one of us now simply asks,
When will we be done with masks
And gobs of soap and sanitizer?!
Oh, bring good tidings, Moderna, Pfizer!
And though we love you, Dr. Fauci,
We’re really getting kind of grouchy
Standing here six feet apart.
When can the hugs and handshakes start?
Till then we’ll give to the food shelves
And may there be a lot of elves
To aid the little girls and boys Who fear there won’t be any toys,
And save the fraught small businesses—
May they have future Christmases!
And as we sing bright carol verses
Bless the doctors and the nurses!
And to the scientists—goodwill!
Bless your work, bless your skill!
We’ll string the garland on our tree
With thoughts for others—empathy.
And in this troubled, cold December,
May hardship make us all remember
In pandemic’s darkest weather
That we are in this all together.
And though it be all you can handle,
Go ahead and light a candle.
Stay hopeful, cheerful kind, and clean.
Pretty soon the great vaccine!
So, “Merry Christmas one and all!”
Goodbye to bleach and alcohol
(except for wine, and, yes, champagne,
For when we meet—we will—again!)
May this two-thousand-twenty-one
Put the past year on the run!
And may your heart ring like a bell—
Happy new year! Please stay well!!
May this two-thousand-twenty-one
Put the past year on the run!
And may your heart ring like a bell—
Happy new year! Please stay well!!
© Jane Whitledge, 2020
Whatever you celebrate, I wish you a good one. And may the new year be kinder than this one has.
Brilliant! Love it!… Stay safe and well and have a very Merry Christmas, Ellen :)
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I’m so glad. You stay well too, and all the best for the holidays. May the new year be kinder than this one has been.
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Amen to that, Ellen I am guessing we are wishing for that …
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If wishes were horses…
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Beautiful! Merry Christmas 🎄
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And to you.
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Stay safe and well. Let’s hope that 2021 brings better things!
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Fervently!
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Have a good one too, dear. May the next year be more hopeful.
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I’ll second that. Have a good holiday.
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I’ll have to wait some. We’re Orthodox ( not religious, though) so we celebrate Xmas on Jan 7.
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I’m pretty sure it has no sell-by date. Open when ready.
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Well done to your pal, have a very merry and cool Yule!
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And to you!
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One nice thing about the life of the COVID-19 hermit is it inspires many of us to compose a brilliant hymn to COVID-19! Nicely done, Jane!
Best wishes for a much healthier and happier 2021, Ellen, and a blessed Christmas.
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And to you, Doug, with a shining new year to bring you joy.
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Thank you!
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Safe and healthy holiday to you Ellen. Toss in as much merry and bright as you are able!
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There will be baking, so how far wrong can it go? Wishing you all the best as well, Deb.
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Excellent! Have a Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year, and thanks for all the laughs 🎅
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It’s my pleasure, and many thanks for your comments. Stay well. Enjoy the holidays.
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What a great poem! Let’s indeed hope that 2021 brings an end to the pandemic misery, although now we hear that it’s children who are super-spreading the new variant…
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I love the poem too, and I’d take that business about superspreading with a grain of salt. A number of scientists are saying that we won’t know for months if the variant’s the cause of the spread in the southeast. It could be human behavior–basically, the virus hopped an express bus. I can’t find anything solid about whether kids spread it, but I suspect the data on that is as fragile as the data on the variant itself. In other words, have a good and quiet holiday. We can always get upset about it later.
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Thanks for all your writing which has helped keep my spirits up through the corona havoc! Have a calm and happy holiday period… and next time you send us a picture of your adorable doggie, please get her (or him?) to look our way :)
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I really should, shouldn’t I? It’s not that I don’t know that, it’s just that I can get a bit careless about the photos.
A bit? Very.
Thanks for the comment. It means a lot to me if I can do that for you.
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A Merry – even in these times – Christmas and a Happy New Year – may it be blessed – to you, Ellen, and yours,
Pit
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Thank you, Pit. And more of the same to you and yours. Even in these times–
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Thanks for sharing that wonderful poem ! Best wishes to you and Ida and all of us readers for better times to come !
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And to you. May the new year bring us hope–and fulfill it.
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Loved the new carol! Cheers to all!
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And to you. Have a good holiday.
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Sheer brilliance, but she’s from Minnesota, so I’m not surprised… ;)
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A Minnesotan born and bred. I’ll make sure she sees your comment.
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Season’s Greetings and Stay Safe, Ellen! Thank you for the covid/Brexity posts!!
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And the same to you, Emma. I’m glad I haven’t outrun your patience on the topics.
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Good Grief, no but I think you need to unchain yourself from your laptop and take a short break or else you’ll suffer burn out!
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I think I’m becoming addicted. And all this new news keeps coming in.
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I suspect you are beyond help! I imagine you furiously typing away…I look forward to the day you have to search around for a story again (in the nicest possibly way)!!
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Now that you mention it, I look forward to that as well. Maybe I’ll revisit all the lunatic English regional festivals. Maybe I’ll just go back to bed with a cup of tea and a book.
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That was a touching one. Merry Christmas!
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And to you. And may the new year be kind.
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Amen!
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