In Memoriam of 2016, I’ve written this poem (well, really, for every year past). May it make you chuckle and breathe relief as we move from one year past to one year new.
A word from Barbara, Lady Tennysdaughter, who sends her thanks for the thoughtful year, witty friends, and silly twists.
Ring out, cell phone, to the wild sky,
The flying yell, the frosty trill:
The year is dying from the mill;
Ring out, cell phone, and let it cry.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, silly tunes, across the snow:
Battery is going, let it go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out old songs that bore the mind
For those tired tunes we hear no more;
Ring out the feuds of Kanye we ignore,
Ring in the equal pay for womankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And every other public strife;
Ring in the best iPhone of life,
With sweeter speakers, odder laws.
Ring out snapchat, IG, hashtag win,
The faithless technology of times;
Ring out, ring out my tuneless rhymes
But ring the better data plans in.
Ring out false texts to friend and blood,
The social slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out virus and political disease;
Ring out desire for materialistic gold;
Ring out the social media wars ya told,
Ring in the years of justice and peace.
Ring in the valiant people free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
