Greetings, Friends! The Annual Holiday Poem by Ian Frazier

As now the year two-oh-two-five,
Somewhat ragged but alive,
Reels and staggers to the finish,
All its drawbacks can’t diminish,
Friends, how gladly ’tis we greet you!
We aver, and do repeat, you
Have our warm felicitations
Full of gladsome protestations
Of Christmastime regard!
Though we have yet to rake the yard,
Mercy! It’s already snowing.
Stuck in the chimney, let’s get going.
Scooch up or down, strew gifts to cheer
All those who sanded ICE this year,
Stout heroes of all ilks and stripes,
And glorious pals of various types.
Hurrah for Z. Mamdani (Mayor)!
May he prove a rent-hike slayer.
Young as any boomer’s kid—
How did he do what he just did?
We’ll celebrate the Portland frogs
While filling steins with spicy grogs
For M.I.T. Pres. Kornbluth (Sally),
Each and ev’ry “No Kings” rally,
Good Pope Leo, Cajun prelate,
Cory Booker (preach it! tell it!),
Nicole Collier, Texas holdout,
May her fortitude be told out,
Docu-maker M. Guevara,
Grabbed and held despite the bar a
Court had put on such detention.
Here we also have to mention
Fernando Jaramillo-Solano
Snatched in Durango, Colorado,
Dropping offspring off at school—
The point, it seems, is to be cruel.
But Yuletide, guys, will not abide that;
Better angels override that.
Speaking of, Ro Khanna rocks!
Judge Tanya Chutkan’s got the chops.
Be-wreathed may Erik Siebert be
(Just look him up and you will see
How cool he’s been), and garlands to
David Huerta, Kat Abu,
David Blatt, of Oklahoma,
Those who protest in Pomona,
Brenna Frey, ex-Skadden lawyer
(Braver than her old employer),
All the suits at Paul, Weiss (NOT!),
Lisa Cook, Elissa Slot-
kin, worthy judges Young and Breyer,
Sooknanan, and, even higher,
Kagan, Jackson, and our Sonia—
Blessings of the season on ya!
We have found some gorgeous cards.
Help us as we sign them, pards,
To author Omar El Akkad (“ak-ed”),
By whose book we sure were sock-ed,
Vicki Miller, belle of Phila.,
California’s Sen. Padilla,
Youman Wilder, uptown coach
Whose bravery is beyond reproach,
Sen. Ben Ray Luján, of New Mex.,
Bishop Seitz (El Paso, Tex.),
Shenna Bellows, Maine Sec. of State,
Mark Singer, the reporter, great
Truth-teller of deserved renown.
For Ras Baraka, Sherrod Brown,
Sheldon Whitehouse, Jamie Raskin,
And A.O.C., in case you’re askin’,
We will attach a tinselled tree,
Whatever the logistics be.
Now, hark! We’ve joyous news to tell
Re Clara Jane Cep, David Brunel—
Welcome, babies! Ditto, forthwith,
To Ricardo Penades the fifth,
Charles Riederer Nelson (born in May),
And Liora Lieber—hip-hurray
For her and her twin brother, Jude!
To Emily Joseph Mirro
We’ll make a graceful pirou-
ette, and strike a beaming attitude
Like that of our dear old Aunt Betty
While we kvell o’er Saira Wei Shetty,
Raising praises far from cursory
For this entire outstanding nursery!
Of this cracked year, what can be said?
Throw up one’s hands and shake one’s head.
We might forget, or hardly dare,
To state that there’s still love out there
In truly huge amounts, indwelling
Past all reckoning or telling,
Buffering cars in traffic jams
Glazing trays of candied yams,
Pulsing in the pop charts’ latest,
Proving it is still the greatest
Force that powers earth and heaven.
So turn the carols to eleven
And sing of love’s ubiquity
Far off and in propinquity.
To find yourself deep in its thrall:
Our Christmas wish for one and all.