“The nightmare has arrived...” – The Guardian

Christmas lights went up early this year
(not a whiff of snow, the pines immature)
to ward off nightmares with forced cheer.

Busy people had no time to face their fears
(whether they can be saved is unsure)
so Christmas lights went up early this year.

We wound up the day, tinkered with the gears
(how much autumn can we endure?)
to ward off nightmares with forced cheer.

We mortgaged the future, but fell in arrears
(we pled our case for force majeure)
so Christmas lights went up early this year.

We told our children lies as night drew near
(when the snow comes, it’s hardly pure)
to ward off nightmares with forced cheer.

At long last, that near-endless winter is here
whose sneer of cold we can’t obscure.
So Christmas lights will stay up late this year
to ward off nightmares with forced cheer.