’Twas the Night Before Christmas

(The word for 2021 — most googled — is HEALING.)

When all through the house

Not a creature was stirring,

Not even The Spouse.

Grievances were hung

By the chimney with care,

In self-righteousness,

hurt, and a little despair.

The children were nestled

All snug in their beds,

While visions of parties

Danced in their heads.

And I in my jammies drank a nightcap,

(Hubby snoring his loudest despite the new app)

When out on the lawn

there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my recliner

To see what was the matter!

Tore down the staircase and fell with a crash.

There to the doorway I tripped like a flash.

The waning moon on the breast
Of the freshest green grass
Gave me to wonder
If I was being an ass,
For what to my wondering
eyes should appear?

But a bonfire, family, and friends once so dear.

Both ornery and loving,

Most crazy, some smart:

I saw family and friends,

Even those politically apart.

I jumped back inside,

Donning a robe, gave a whistle;

Strode through the doorway

(Trying hard not to bristle).

AGAIN!.. but what to my wondering eyes should appear?

As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky —

The bonfire was burning away every tear!

Tho’ 2021 was an even worse year,

Every rejection, loss, hurt and pain

Was flying away — like Aragorn’s bane!

The fire with Emmanuel’s Love shone:

Reflecting the dear ones, once so alone.

And as we drank, ate, smiled,

and burnt last year’s “trash,”

We watched all our fears turning to ash.

We toasted, we roasted, we even kissed

— served up apologies sadly, so nearly missed —

We heard in our hearts the embers’ final glow

And whispering to both young and to the great old:

“Merry Christmas to all,

And to all a Good Night,

for new path’s begin here:

Let this goodly gold light

take away the cold of Today’s dark and fright.

May this silver, waning moon

Give you promising sight.”

There’s no room for grudges, there’s no room for fears,

The room is a stable and it wipes away tears.

The curtain, opened to eternity last —

Their wrongs are gone; yours are long past.

To heal we first feel — to heal we must deal —

Let us forgive — I repeat — then we can heal.

And it is right here, this place — first, we must kneel.”

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