’Twas right around Christmas in two-o-two-two,

This year the days and weeks certainly flew.

Lots of things happened, though, this much is true,

And since you are reading this, you made it through.

Heading the news was perhaps the new war,

Vlad “the Mad” Putin came on with a roar.

Capturing turf that he thought should be his,

Ukraine said “uh-uh, man, this ain’t your biz.”

Soldiers from Russia were loath to take arms,

“Why would we want to do Kyiv great harm?”

Looking to end it all quick as a flash,

Moscow now finds itself facing backlash.

Most of the world has decided to choose,

And Ukraine is winning the popular views.

How long can Putin hold out for a win?

Chances of victory seem to be slim.

Meanwhile the Rocket Man keeps up his show,

Shooting off missiles remains status quo.

Also, to show it’s a frightening foe,

Tehran’s big nuke program adds to our woe.

One other note on the ne’er-do-well stage,

China seems poised more and more to engage

In actions designed to give them greater power,

And make the whole world toward them bow, scrape, and cower.

Speaking of China, it seems safe to say,

The worry from Wuhan just won’t go away.

Covid is poised to head into year three,

Are masks in our future again? We shall see.

“Leave the Door Open” was this year’s top song,

Feel free to join in a group sing-along.

Rodrigo got “Sour,” Doja wants more

And Stapleton’s hit pointed folks to the door.

Hollywood cranked up the cameras of course,

Providing a great entertaining resource.

Maverick took to the skies once again,

Cruising to box office heights with a spin.

Black Panther, Batman, the rising of Gru,

Spidey, a Hedgehog, and Doctor Strange too.

Jurassic was back and Thor and guess who?

Yep, Elvis once more got us back in a queue.

Sports, as they do, made us happy and sad,

Some teams excite us, and some make us mad.

Fans down in Athens had much to proclaim,

Winning, at last, the big national game.

A Bulldog alum also had a great year,

Stafford gave LA fans plenty to cheer.

Kansas won b-ball and Rich Strike the Derby,

(at 80-1, a most prosperous payee).

Tiger teed up at Augusta to try

To see if again for more victories he’d vie.

It wasn’t to be, though he gave it his all,

Wincing a bit as he hit every ball.

A bit more concerning was Greg Norman’s try

To lure away pros with some big money buys.

The LIV tour was conceived to annoy

The PGA tour, (or perhaps to destroy).

Steph and his men took the NBA crown,

Meanwhile in Russia, B. Griner went down.

Jailed for a substance found stashed in her bag,

Nine months in prison was clearly a drag.

One GOAT retired, then came back for some more,

Tom’s playing football, Gisele’s out the door.

Roger said, “No more,” and hung up his racket,

Serena did too (though she may again whack it).

The Winter Olympics went on without fans,

Travel plans scuttled with all China’s bans.

Not so the case when the Avalanche won,

The NHL champs their fans did not shun.

The Las Vegas Aces held all the right cards,

Winning the rings with exceptional guards.

The Astros and Phillies gave baseball a thrill,

Without Houston cheating, just showing their skill.

Albert hit HRs, Aaron Judge too,

Coach K retired, Big Ben said he’s through.

Chastain at Martinsville screeched down the wall,

Looked like a video game to us all.

Futbol was played on the World Stage once more,

Qatar an unlikely place to see scores.

Messi and Christian showed up with big plans,

Is this the last time they’ll be playing for fans?

Serious matters, alas, were not rare,

Triumphs and tragedies everyone shares.

Shootings at schools top the list of the worst,

Robb Elementary only one that was cursed.

Interest rates rising, inflation on fire,

Businesses begging for help: “Hey, we hire.”

Workers are one thing, but where is the stuff?

Getting the product to shelves is quite tough.

Ketanji Brown Jackson joined up with the Court,

Just when the matter of Roe was cut short.

Gender identity quickly starts fights,

To claim male or female, who has the right?

Oil prices surged and the Keystone sprung leaks,

Omicron rose and the Covid hit peaks.

Elon took Twitter by storm and surprise,

More than a few voicing outrageous cries.

As always will happen, some folks took their leave,

Famous names, commoners too, made us grieve.

Lilibet, Queen of her people forever,

Charles now in charge of the British endeavor.

Newton-John, Saget, a Caan, and an Alley,

Poitier, Lansbury, all joined the tally.

Bill Russell, Coolio, Christine McVie,

Gallagher, Gottfried, “Killer” Jerry Lee.

Mid-term elections saw races quite tight,

Voters divided their tickets all night.

The rematch in Georgia turned out as before,

No party nationwide claimed a big score.

Biden turned eighty and Trump seven-six,

In two years will these be the people we’ll pick?

Many are waiting to test out their wings,

Who knows what choices the future will bring.

Hopefully, we’ll all be at peace come next year,

With good health, some wealth, and a lot of great cheer.

Now’s a fine time to start working on things,

Everyone party and everyone sing.

As always, it’s best to remember the Reason

We celebrate things in this cold winter season.

Enjoy all the good times and keep loved ones close,

Savor the moments that thrill you the most.

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