Patricia Fremont Smith, SaddleBrooke Writers Group member
’Twas the night before solstice, when all through my mind
not a thought was stirring, nought of any kind
The prompts had been chosen, albeit with care
In hopes that we writers would do our fair share
Recklessly, I ventured out loud “winter solstice”
My head hurts so much I think I need a poultice
Wide eyed, no sleep for me, I must find the reason
Behind the darkest day of this season
Letting go of my fear, I summon my courage
Put on my thinking cap and begin to rummage
Visions of light and dark spin through my brain
No fun if it sounds like too much of a strain
Those writers are all settled snug in their beds
I’m certain they see the right words in their heads
When outside the house there arose such a clatter
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash
The moon shone bright on sparkly raked gravel
I was convinced that I would “promptly” unravel
When what to my wondering eyes did appear
The writers gathered, looking so lively and dear
They held their papers, all filled with their prompts
I sensed at once that I was straightforwardly swamped
One was the president, I knew it was Mike
Jeez—I hurriedly thought that I might take a hike
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name
Now, Mark! now, Cari! now, Joan and Christine!
On, Jim! on, John! on, Tom and Loraine!
Now, Stuart! now, Karen and Larry!
On, Jennifer! on, Scott and Gary!
Now, Hazel! now, Bonita, Bruce, and Bill!
In the distance, one could hear in the chill
Roger! T.J.! Sylvia! Marcia! — perchance a few more
And then Matilda marching to the fore
In the cold winter light, they all convened
Rivalry turned my eyes a glittering green
How could I rise to match this colorful troupe
The dastardly dilemma drove me to droop
As I drew in my head, and was turning around
Down through the chimney came a word hoard profound
A bundle of nouns, adverbs, and adjectives
I knew at once I’d meet my objective
I found the paper, writing stick, and courage
To put down in rhyming verse and not to disparage
I soon determined that I had nothing to dread
Dare to use the sanity clauses filling my head
The gift of giving and honoring others
In times of stress, it makes a good buffer
If this sounds familiar and is a chiller
Shrug, but please don’t kick my posterior
I must confess it is all derivative
But the meaning of solstice is also primitive
We celebrate the winter solstice as Christmas and Yule
To end it at that makes one quite the fool
Humans have observed the two special days, you see
Since the last part of the Stone Age, about 10,000 B.C.
This study closes on the shortest day of the year
My holiday wish is that we join in good cheer!
21 December 2019