SANTA CLAUS IN THE YEAR OF PANDEMIC

–a Poem by Beryl MacDonald

At Santa’s domain, up near the North Pole,
Word came from the Centers for Disease Control.
They told him the news about Covid Nineteen
And said he would have to change his routine.

“Get busy,” they said, “and make a start.
Harness the reindeer six feet apart!
You cannot go off to all of the nations
Unless you observe the new regulations.”

Santa enlisted the help of the elves
Who were busy unloading toys from the shelves.
They all agreed that the number one task
Was fitting each reindeer with a reindeer-size mask.

They scrubbed the sleigh from bottom to top
With some disinfectant they found in the shop.
Then with hand sanitizer that was one hundred proof
They washed and sprayed each reindeer hoof.

Next, they got busy cleaning the toys
That were going to good little girls and boys.
Soon all of the gifts were ready to pack
Into a brand-new Santa sack.

“Now, Santa,” said Eddie, the Number One Elf,
“It’s time you did something about yourself.
We’ve thoroughly washed your Santa suit
And scrubbed and cleaned and polished each boot.”

Santa soaked in the tub for about an hour
Then, for extra measure, he took a shower.
At last he was dressed and ready to go
Out to the sleigh that was parked in the snow.

There was one thing left. He must find a mask,
But that proved to be a difficult task.
“I fear,” he sighed, “I must shave my beard,
But Santa without a beard would look weird.”

Then, running across the snow to the sleigh,
Came Mrs Claus to save the day.
She said, “When I heard about Covid Nineteen,
I ran this up on my sewing machine.”

The fit was perfect for Santa’s face
So soon he had the mask in place.
Then he climbed in the sleigh and waved Goodbye,
And away they went across the sky.

We must all be good at this time of the year.
Santa will come with our gifts, never fear!
A virus could never keep Santa away.
Rejoice and be merry on Christmas Day!