‘Twas the night after Thanksgiving and all through Iraq,

not a creature was stirring after nine o’clock.

Their bellies rumbled with hunger and fear,

mandated darkness masked their tears

The children huddled under their mothers’ wings,

while visions of bombs invaded their dreams

And mama kept guard, ready to run,

while daddy watched for the men with guns.

When over in America there rose such a din

of holiday shoppers rushing to get in.

Away to the malls and Wal-Mart’s they tread,

pushing aside thoughts of the dead

SUVs on the highways, waiting in line,

illustrate clearly their moral decline.

What, my curious mind has to ask,

is the real cost of their wasted gas?

With the war president so sassy and quick,

I knew they’d never suspect his tricks.

More spending is what he wants to see

to hide the truth about the economy.

“Now, Conservative! Now, Christian! Now Blind and Fooled.

On, Puppet! On Gullible! On Heartless and Cruel.

Forget your scruples and storm through the mall.

Whip out the credit cards and buy it all!”

A prosthetic leg for that boy in Baghdad?

Or a video game for your nephew Chad?

Morphine for the burned Fallujah man?

Or a box of cigars for dear Uncle Stan?

And then in a twinkling I heard a strong voice,

the nagging conscience urging a choice.

Stay home this season, turn this around.

Boycott with reason, stand your ground.

Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men

Shouldn’t stay on the cards we send

Experts predict Americans will spend an average of $800 per family this holiday season.  Can it buy peace on earth?

Sandy Knauer