The Thanksgiving Blues

I ran into Tom Turkey today;

It's been a couple of years.

We sat in a local bar together

And drank a couple of beers.

 

"Tom," I said, "I know quite well

That life has its bumps,

But often when I run into you,

You're feeling down in the dumps.

 

"Last Thanksgiving had to be

A difficult one for you,

But what is happening this year

That's making you feel so blue?"

 

"Well," he replied, "you know the day

Is always bittersweet:

It's nice to see people celebrate

But sad to be the meat.

 

"COVID put a real damper

On last year's merrymaking.

I thought things would improve by now,

But my heart's still breaking.

 

"Hospitals are under siege.

Cases again are spiking.

In ONE state* 68 percent!

That's not to my liking.

 

"Unnecessarily,

Many people are dying.

And some people who downplay the virus

Resort to unscrupulous lying.

 

"It makes no sense whatsoever

When we have the means

To put an end to this horrible scourge

Through safe and effective vaccines.

 

"Almost as many people are losing

Their lives to COVID today

As LAST year before the COVID

Vaccine came into play.

 

"Certain counties where vaccination

Rates are super low

Want to send patients to other counties.

To me that's malapropos."

 

"Tom, I feel your pain," I said.

"I'm amazed as well.

Conspiracy theories and misinformation

Sometimes are hard to dispel.

 

"Let's hope that more unvaccinated

People will see the light

And work to get this virus under

Control by doing what's right."

 

"AMEN!" he said, and waddled

Out to catch his cab,

While giving me a cursory wave

And leaving me with the tab.

-by Bob B (11-24-21)

*In Michigan