’Twas the time around Christmas in Two-oh-two-one,

A big year of trials was just about done.

From vaccines and riots to new folks in charge,

Every new month brought on changes quite large.

 

A threatening rampage on Capitol Hill

Accomplished a whole lot of pretty much nil.

Then Fourteen days later ol’ Joe took the reins,

Hoping to calm things and not fan the flames.

 

Money went out to most everyone’s pockets,

Into a savings plan many did sock it.

Jobs on the frontline continued to wither,

As folks getting supplements decided to dither.

 

Shots in the arm gave a great deal of hope

That pandemic madness would lessen in scope.

Millions lined up to get one jab or two,

And ended up feeling that they had the flu.

 

“Jobs Are Available” read many signs,

“Pay Hikes” and “Bonuses” screamed the headlines.

And some sense of normalcy settled us down,

Turning around at least a few frowns.

 

Then came a new strain, and more fears emerged,

Cases of Covid again greatly surged.

Booster shots soon became norms of the day,

Hoping to keep the new variant at bay.

 

The end of a 20-year war came in summer,

Alas, our escape was a heckuva bummer.

Taliban Afghans are now in control,

An Islamic state it seems is their goal.

 

Gaps on our border let thousands come through,

The backgrounds for many we had not a clue.

Caravans came thinking all would be welcome,

Some in D.C. said, “Who cares” where they come from?”

 

Then there were trials and riots that followed,

Even with verdicts of juries bestowed.

Crime just ran rampant in big city streets,

Smashing and grabbing without any heat.

 

On top of all that came a cry for more cash,

Congress was looking to make a big splash.

Money for bridges and roads and what have you,

Plus, a surprise or two stuck in the queue.

 

A trillion or six couldn’t possibly hurt,

The moolah will come from those with stuffed shirts.

You know the kind, making 400K,

They can afford it, let’s make them pay.

 

Seems that with all of the gloom and the dread,

Maybe we all should have stayed put in bed.

But then we’d have missed many newsworthy picks,

With people, adventures, and sports in the mix.

 

SpaceX and private ships went way up high,

Ferrying travelers up into the sky.

A captain called Kirk joined with others aloft,

Art came to life with a landing quite soft.

 

The Boy (and) the Mole (and) the Fox (and) the Horse,

Instilled in us values we all could endorse.

Other books took us through tales bold and strong,

And Sir Paul the Beatle explained all his songs.

 

The U.S. won medals in Games one year late,

One hundred thirteen to China’s eighty-eight.

Meanwhile in football not many surprises,

Brady and Sabin again took home prizes.

 

Basketball, though, shook it up quite a bit,

The Bucks from Milwaukee were NBA’s hit.

In college ball Baylor hit many a hoop,

Causing their fans to yell Texas-sized Whoops!

 

Baseball returned with a full season slate,

Fans cheering loudly for men at the plate.

In true storied fashion the Braves won it all,

Beating the ’Stros in the Classic of Fall.

 

Helio won number four on one track,

After Daytona where Kyle beat the pack.

The women of Stanford on hardwood did reign,

On ice, the Bay’s Lightning gained all of the fame.

 

Normally Tiger can drive with great skill,

But not when it comes to a sharp L.A. hill.

And speaking of golf, in Augusta’s marquee,

History was made by a guy named Hideki.

 

Death claimed the lives of a Prince and a King,

Philip and Larry both played out their strings.

Hammerin’ Hank and the Stones’ drummer Charlie,

Limbaugh and Sondheim the scene they did flee.

 

Ditto a Plummer, a “Screech,” and Miss Leachman,

Asner, Lasorda, their life’s work all done.

Cicely Tyson and Hal Holbrook too,

DMX, Spector, and “Linc” left us blue.

 

Free Guys, Eternal, the Black Widow, Dune,

No Time to Die made the film coffers boom.

Venom and Jungle Cruise, Ten Rings of Legend

All for an Oscar may next year contend.

 

Streaming of songs led some music to heights,

Like Dynamite, For the Night, and Blinding Lights.

BTS, Grande, Rodrigo and more,

Scored major hits in the new “record store.”

 

We still like pro football; we can’t get enough,

Three nights and Sundays the ratings hang tough.

Singers with masks and Anatomy’s Grays,

Reality shows even more got our praise.

 

Tabloid sensations continued their quest:

Is it the truth, or is it just jest?

Kanye and Kim we can buy in new trysts,

But Dr. Suess somehow gets labeled as racist?

 

Harry and Meghan sat down to tell tales,

With Oprah they dished out the dirt on some Wales.

Later a judge told young Britney she’s free

To climb up a tree or to go on a spree.

 

As always at this time of year it’s a fact

The twelve months behind us have really been packed.

Uproars in politics – those we can stand

Delta and Omicron? – they were not planned.

 

It’s good that we finish each year with the hope

That sprang from a Baby who taught us to cope.

“Fear not,” was the message that first Christmas night,

“Good news” angels brought, and a star shone so bright.

 

There’s no doubt we differ and bicker and squawk,

And Lord knows how loudly we all like to talk.

But hopefully one day a year we can pause,

Merry Christmas to all, may peace be your cause.

 

©MMXXI. William J. Lewis, III – Freelance Writer