Giving into the bitterness for a day – 319

‘Twas the day before Christmas
And I was outside
Hoping that Tri-met
Could give me a ride
To Washington Square
Before Christmas-tide.
Julie had ordered
A cookie for dessert
Weeks before winter
Had frozen the earth.
We wanted to get it
Because it was pre-paid
But it won’t always matter
If plans are well laid.
I had tried on the Monday,
But the bus never came.
This time I left earlier.
My task, it was lame,
And I knew it, and yet,
In my mind it became,
A symbolic quest.
The year’d been a bad one,
There was no doubt.
For the past three months,
Of work I had been out.
Maria’s work had to stop holiday pay,
And she was not getting paid for snow days,
Julie’s job will make cuts
In the new year,
So that news gave us
Something extra to fear.
Loved ones had left us
Too fast for goodbyes,
Plans were canceled for snow,
That was covered by ice.
Sorry Karlin, sorry Lisa,
Maybe next year,
Sorry Lance, Lynn, and Laura,
But it’s no time for tears,
Forget about the concert, it’s not worth the risk.
It was only Chris Botti, buy a compact disk.
We would have liked to see you,
We could have had a ball,
Hopes and plans are dashed away, dashed away all.
So a cookie doesn’t matter,
Not really, I know,
But I just wanted something to go right,
As I stood in the snow.
I’d gotten up early,
To combat two seizures,
But the dog did recover, so why waste the day.
I got bundled up and went on my way.
First 57, the wait wasn’t too bad.
54 takes a bit longer, but came, I was glad,
Just one more transfer, to 56
And I waited, and waited, out there in the sticks.
One person gave up, but we others stood firm
And finally a bus pulled up to the berm.
The sign said 56, to Washington Square.
I found a seat and grabbed my book—
We were on our way there.
But the bus didn’t turn on the street where it should have,
This couldn’t have happened, no, this year, it could have.
The bus said 56, but it was 54
And I just didn’t feel I could bear anymore.
I got off at Fred Meyer, and just bought a cake,
Defeated, I admit it, but it was all I could take,
And I realized as I walked out of the store,
Coat and gloves were still there, but my scarf was no more.
So that’s been our season, it has been tough luck,
At least it is ending, and I don’t give a Merry Christmas.