The Big Kids

For Claude Bevil Blanchette Hall,
Of Happy Memory

1954

Sprinkled by the janitor from a coffee can
The oily smell of the green sawdust sown
Along the old school hallway’s green tile floors
And pushed along with a long-handled broom

My brother’s at the door with my lunch money
He’s one of The Big Kids, 5th grade, y’know
High up on the third floor, where we can’t go

Not yet

What’s it like to be one of The Big Kids?

2017

My brother’s on a higher floor again
And what’s it like up there, where we can’t go?

Not yet

For our Mothers on Christmas Eve

             For Katherine Mattie Bevil Blanchette Hall, 1922 – 2010
                                         and all our mothers

Beyond all other nights, on this strange Night,
A strangers’ Star, a silent, seeking Star,
Helps set the wreckage of our souls aright:
It leads us to a stable door ajar                                                          

And we are not alone in peeking in:
An ox, an ***, a lamb, some shepherds, too -
Bright Star without; a brighter Light within
We children see the Truth those Wise Men knew

For we are children there in Bethlehem
Soft-shivering in that winter long ago
We watch and listen there, in star-light dim,
In cold Judea, in a soft, soft snow

By Elliott Blanchette

2020, what a year indeed!
For every nation, language and creed
For it exposed every good and bad deed
But it was a long lesson that we did all need.

In January, a tragedy worse than the heat of Nairobi
Was the death of a legend, a man we call Kobe
The world mourned, wept, wailed and did wonder
Was there more coming from 2020 over hill and yonder?
‘Twas then I heard of a virus
And no, not ammonia!
Was not crisp like a beer
But she was called Corona
In China, she sat, like a lioness ready to pounce
But leaked out onto foreign soil, ounce by ounce!

Trump was a man impeached
But by the start of February
He was acquitted of all charge
Was trial really necessary?

Then came a historic day
More seasoned than parsley
For the long last conviction
Of a man named Harvey
A filmmaking giant who fell from grace
All cause he never learned the value of personal space.

Then came March, my birth month of course
On the 9th day of the month, the stock market went hoarse.
Corona slipped onto our shining shores
Closing all of our venues, markets and stores

But wait, Trump said, let’s not let hope fester
We shall curb this little knock before Easter
April came and our hope seemed dim
Corona took human form and she was at the helm.

Then came May, a month I wish we could avoid
It all came to a head with a man called Floyd
A cop’s knee was upon him, as I watched the world seethe
As Floyd uttered his final words, “I can’t breathe!”
Like a volcano that just blew its top
Riots erupted and came full stop!

I watched in stunned silence as I saw two sides clash
With protestors and cops seeing each side bash.
Violence escalated and hatred doubled
I felt my heart sink, I was deeply troubled.

It spilled over into June, near the start of summer.
All nerves were on high!
My God, that was a ******!
It was then it occurred to me, yes I have a voice
To use it for hope and faith, and yes that was my choice.
There was another highlight
No need to be hiding
Look out USA, here’s Biden!
Tyson’s got nothing on him
Trump’s chances just got dim!

Now came July, with another strike
Bugs called ****** hornets came in a huge spike
They were like hoodlums intent on killing
Every honey bee and hive, their bee blood spilling!
I did much as I could to keep on living!
Until I learned of the death of Regis Philbin
Host of a great game show, if one would dare.
One called Who Wants to be a Millionaire!

August rolls around explosion and joy see
Beirut up in flames and Kamala as VP
But then tragedy struck again for Hollywood
We lost Chadwick Bozeman, the Black Panther that Could!
Our Wakandan salutes all up in the air
I asked God why Chadwick, it didn’t seem fair!
California had its own trauma
Fanning the flames
Consuming every forest
We are not playing games!

September brought another tragedy
A pioneer of change
Losing the great RBG and her great judicial range
A revered Supreme Court justice of the highest merit
Only to be replaced by a woman called Barrett.

In October, Corona reared its ugly head
As it went to attack the President instead
Many wished he went down, but it didn’t take him
Pretty soon he was back on the road on a whim.
Was it staged or was it all real?
Trump healed up way too quick, what’s the deal?

Then came that month, the dreaded November
It was served piping hot like a bowl of scorching embers!
For Trump, this month was all but fun
For old Joe Biden, it was a grand home run!
For gals everywhere, they were all, Yippee!
As Kamala Harris was elected the First Lady VP!
Yet another tragedy came, one that stung me in the neck
Was a beloved game show host called Alex Trebek.
Cancer took him severely and quietly too
Jeopardy won’t be the same, all fans cried boo-hoo!

Finally it was December
Not served as a burning timber
There was hope a-flaring
As far as I remember
Relief was coming and for all to be seen
An FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine
Yes! I thought, my faith paid off
But local leaders would just look and scoff.
They bickered for months, allegedly on our behalf
When we got 600, they gave us the shaft.

This year was a hot mess
Every event in its cause
2020, oh 2020....the year that was!