‘Twas the night before Covid

By Luci Hagen

​

‘Twas the night before Covid, when all ‘round our town

Not an old man was stirring, nor his wife in bed gown

The children were tucked in by their parents with care,

With hopes that they’d wake up and put on their schoolwear

 

They’d never imagined getting up out of bed

To go on a computer and be schooled there instead

Or the new accessory that became a mandatory task

They’d be doused with hand sanitizer, and forced to wear masks

 

Who would have thought, March in the small vineyard city

That the promise of school’s return was a vow all too pity

And their year would take a far darker turn

Than ever comprehended, they soon would learn

 

Oh the loss, the sickness, life’s great general change

The murder over discriminatory hate, the horrific orange flame

 The year took a toll on our functioning as a nation

As though our world fell in darkness, made the ruling ground of satan

 

So the future of Healdsburg was foreseen to be bleak

Its people pitted in hate, its business poor and weak

Its youth, stressed and unschooled, the old shaken in fear

Our people are suffering, it's a hard thing to hear

 

We were forced to find comfort, in the small simple things

Crinkled smiling eyes above a mask, a solo plaza performer playing strings

With all of the bustle of our regular, usual lives,

Had we taken for granted all we’ve been deprived? 

 

As we lost what we never knew we’d miss

Those trivial moments, a grandmother’s sweet on-the-cheek kiss

Music in the park, a cheap movie at the Raven or two

Or a July firework show, bursts of red, white, and blue

 

The slow end to the year brings joy to family and friends

That the 2020 nightmare will be over, that Covid will end

That the cure for our devastation, the stop of it all

Can save the world from reaching its deadly downfall

 

So as the holiday season passed, so did some of the stress

Around a table of five, no more, no less

Not the usual family scene, for others or themselves

But they’re grateful to be healthy, all their loved ones well

 

Now we find ourselves on Christmas, and all about the house

One creature lies awake, no, not the mouse

But a girl young in age, no older than fifteen

Counts her blessings then drifts fastly, deep into hopeful dreams