Maggie Morton is one of Ayr Writers’ Club’s newest members. With a flair for poetry, a few good pals who just love Christmas, she’s cleverly combined our current lockdown situation with thoughts of seasonal festivities in the creation of a (at-first-glance) light-hearted (yet layered) ode. Enjoy.
Lockdown at the North Pole
It feels like everywhere is locked down, socially distant by the book,
But certain places are managing OK, if you take the time to look,
The North Pole’s getting into spring time – after all, the month is May,
Santa’s wearing his Hawaiian shorts and enjoying the sunny days,
Chilling out by his garden igloo, sipping on a G&T,
Mrs Claus is tending the flowers in her North Pole nursery,
But Santa’s elves are still busy in their workshop making toys,
They’ve definitely not been furloughed – imagine all the girls and boys,
Waking up on Christmas morning, no presents there to thrill,
Because Santa packed his workers off and made the Government foot the bill!
Santa’s kitted his elves with PPE and they sit two metres apart,
The one-way system round the workers’ bench was confusing at the start,
Still, the elves, they quickly adapted, from goodwill, and not the threat,
That breaking the rules of lockdown would mean cleaning the fisherman’s nets,
That belong to the friendly Polar Bear four igloos along the ice,
No elf really wants to find out if Polar’s roar is worse than his bite!
Santa’s treating his elves to ice-cream, and an extra day off each week,
Mrs Claus is baking muffins and spiced cookies for them to eat,
At the end of each long work day, the toys and tools all get laid by,
And the elves have a cheery sing-a-long so they finish on a high,
Then it’s hot chocolate and bedtime, lights out at half past ten,
And there’s quiet at the North Pole, until it’s time to start again,
So when you clap next Thursday for key workers far and wide,
Give a thought to those busy little elves in their toyshop, side by side,
Building the dolls and cars and games to go into Santa’s sleigh,
Even though Santa’s stuck in lockdown, the elves are sorting Christmas Day.
– Maggie Morton, May 2020 –