This Pandemic now has entered into year number three

As of March twenty first, Ontario will be mask free

This will be an option that you can give or take

Conveniently lifted after the March break

They are going to eliminate the masks for schools altogether

Just in time for spring which will bring some better weather

Hopefully it heats up enough to allow in some fresh air

Could we finally come to an end of all of this despair?

We have been through so many highs and lows, has anyone kept score?

I just want to get life back to the way it was before

I hate the fact that this has also become a political germ

Doug Ford could be easing this to obtain a second term

Regardless of what happens, I have tried to stay optimistic

It would be helpful if our leaders could be altruistic

They seem so concerned about themselves and their party as a whole

Instead of working together to achieve this final goal

I am going to keep on doing what I have been practicing all along

We are supposed to follow the guidelines whether you think they’re right or wrong

Yet another variant is now making its debut

As far as its potency, no one seems to have a clue

I have tried to stay upbeat throughout this dismal event

Still waiting for this virus to make its final descent

All the articles and videos to watch have become too time consuming

I have decided to cut this down as well as my personal grooming

Months ago I decided to let my hair grow and also not to shave

Being stringent to the rules, this was a way for me to misbehave

My hair has become so long I could do a comb over to eliminate my skull’s glare

My beard that once grew in red and brown is now just gray everywhere

One grand-daughter says I look like Kris Kringle

All I need is a Santa hat and some bells to jingle

She was real excited and already knew this

Was the fact that my first name is actually Chris!!

I now have this and my mask to hide my face

This is now a major improvement, especially in my case

I actually have some hair and now a beard to comb

If I wore a pointy hat I could pass as a garden gnome

I am now at a fork in the road and not sure what path to take

I may have to come to a decision that I said I wouldn’t make

I promised to continue on my quest until this Covid 19 was finished

It still looms among us although at times it has diminished

As the temperatures increase, I may have to go back on my word

Getting overheated in the summer is something this guy can’t afford

I mustn’t let my pumper work too hard to keep me cool

In order to maintain my health, I must adhere to this rule

If I were to continue, eventually I would be stepping on my beard

My “skullet” would be past my ass and make me look even more weird

Here’s hoping that everyone is able to stay healthy and well

This virus and all its variations could still be here for quite a spell

In this poem you should be alerted that I have altered certain words

Using anagrams like “mean” and “name” are a couple that you have heard

This means using the same letters like “post” and “stop” are being used

Only two, not lots are used in each line, so don’t get lost and too confused

This poem you’ll see veers from verse to verse

I’ll steer and try to avoid the trees but still may go off course

Politics is perhaps is one of the items that I have used too many times

What everyone hears is what I share when I am making up these rhymes

With all this despair, I am not looking to be praised for what I write

So many types of hatreds in the world, you can try your hardest and never be right

We live with all this evil that’s why I try to lighten things a bit

Too many tales of Trump on my slate, I really have to admit

I try not to get too verbose on the things that I observe along the way

The notes and tones I choose to use can vary from day to day

Sometimes people have reacted to lines I created and in turn inspire me more

Reward is nothing I have craved, I used to just throw these poems in a drawer

I have now grown myself a beard and still trying to bake me some bread

I fill the pans in a snap and throw them in the machine instead

The plan was to post this poem before this appliance came to a stop

Nope, if you want to open it, you get to glance at it from the top

This is the hardest poem and I almost trashed it before I was through

I aspired to complete this but despair has set in now too

In general my poems are bigger but I don’t choose to enlarge this one

This will mean that this is the shortest, amen and now it’s done

So Putin finally did it, he invaded Ukraine

This so called diplomacy was all in vain

The rest of the world can’t sit back and just ignore

This is the largest invasion in Europe since the second world war

Cruise missiles and artillery have gone on nonstop for days

Sending thousands of Ukrainians packing and on their ways

Railway lines and highways clogged wherever they choose to go

The country not having the facilities to handle this huge outflow

President Zelensky put his own mortality aside

Telling western leaders he isn’t looking for a ride

The United States offered him a safe way out of his nation

He told them he wasn’t interested in any evacuation

Told these western leaders that he was in it for the fight

While broadcasting videos to show what’s wrong and right

He told these countries “I need ammunition, not a ride”

We will be defending our country and said it full of pride

Three hundred and fifty million dollars of U.S. assistance is on its way

I’m hoping that it gets there soon, they can’t afford any delay

Poland and Hungary have opened their borders and sit in wait

They are allowing all these refugees passage through their gates

More than one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers are waiting at Russia’s command

The Ukrainians are determined that they must defend their land

Sanctions against Putin himself are part of the western plan

At this point I don’t think there is any way of stopping this man

Biden is being criticized for the efforts he put in place

The flack is coming from the Republicans in this case

They seem to be cheering for the Russian leader in this scenario

One has to  wonder where did this party go?

Trump is backing Putin and calling him a genius in this whole affair

Donald is Vlady’s puppet as we are all aware

Fox News is backing team Russia as well in this campaign

With Tucker Carlson the spokesman, can it be any more insane?

Sanctions aren’t going to do it, we have to have Ukraine’s back

Thousands of innocent people are going to perish in this attack

How much is it going to hurt by taking vodka off the store shelf?

This nation won’t be able to stop Putin all by themselves

Common sense would be to set differences aside and help Ukraine out

I’m so tired of all the bickering and Donald Trump’s constant pout

It’s time to bury the hatchet and work together like we can

This is the only way we will be able to put an end to Putin’s plan

The Olympic games are now officially done

Our Canadian heroes left with twenty six medals being won

Just three short of last games record haul

I would like to take this time to congratulate them all

I made a commitment to keep track of them all the way

I updated by watching all the highlights each and every day

This way I saw every event that there was a medal being awarded

It was nice to see all of these competitors being rewarded

Our men’s hockey team just didn’t seem to get on track

Our amazing women’s team brought the gold medal back

The closing ceremonies were performed just yesterday

Soon all of our participants will be home to stay

This weekend also saw the “Freedom Convoy” disband

There were reports of some incidents getting a little out of hand

One hundred and ninety one people were charged when it was done

Rumours are out that there may be another one

As far as inquiries go,  there will be one for sure

It’s been over three weeks since the residents have felt secure

The “Emergencies Act” was implemented so police could clear the way

When we get to the bottom of things everyone will have their say

Meanwhile in world news, Russia is still parked on the Ukraine border

France and the United States are negotiating to keep peace in order

Biden claims that Russia is getting ready to invade

Some others say that for Putin, it’s just a game being played

Queen Elizabeth II has caught the virus at the ripe old age of ninety five

She has had all of her shots and she should survive

Reports are that her symptoms are mild and she is doing fine

She is going to stay indoors and follow the medical guidelines

Now for some good news that is coming from the States

Seems that Donald Trump’s empire hasn’t been doing all that great

Because he was fudging all the numbers, his accounting firm has left him high and dry

“Mazars” announced that their statements cannot be relied upon because they are full of lies

They have handed over five hundred and twenty five thousand documents for the prosecution to view

Donald, Donald Junior and Ivanka have been issued subpoenas and we all know what they will do

Like Eric, they will all plead the fifth so they won’t  incriminate one another

Isn’t that special, father, daughter, son, sister and brother

This could be the tipping point and this phony empire could finally fall

The establishments that loaned money to Trump will soon be giving him a call

All his assets will be frozen which will certainly cause a lot of tension

All he will be able to retain will be his acting and presidential pension

This is just a sampling of what has happened in this past week

In everyone of these examples, it’s justice that we all seek

It would be nice to see Trump broke when it comes time to pay

Also to see all his old cronies get convicted along the way

Ontario’s “Freedom Convoy” is now into weekend number three

They haven’t accomplished all that much as far as I can see

Calling it a “peaceful” protest doesn’t seem all that right

When you have participants honking their horns all day and night

They gridlocked Parliament Hill and been there since January twenty eighth

Still trying to convince this nation that they are doing it in good faith

It has been a spectacle right from the start

No one has a clue when they will finally depart

This convoy travelled from the east and west determined to put on a show

As they meandered to their destination they were heralded everywhere that they would go

Windsor, Ottawa and Toronto in Ontario have been put to the test

Quebec City in the east as well as Edmonton in the west

The regulations for vaccines is what they are choosing to reject

In this whole process, they are losing all of their respect

These people have been hailed as heroes for the efforts they have put through

Now all of this is being tarnished by these chosen few

This freedom convoy in no way represents all the truckers that are on the road

Chances are, most of these participants will never haul another load

When this protest breaks up, they are going to need a lot of luck

I’m sure the names will be exposed of the owners of every single truck

With vaccine mandates being lifted, this group is claiming that they won

Forgetting that it has been over two weeks since their fiasco first begun

They have dragged it out so long that it was close to the pre set time frame

If it gets them out of town, let’s pretend they won this game

Fellow truckers around the world are beginning to follow their lead

Who knows if any of them will actually succeed?

Our Government has been more than lenient handling this rebel crowd

Things that were done here, in other Countries, would never be allowed

They blocked the “Ambassador Bridge” that leads to the United States

Which means it’s gone international for companies that handle freight

“Biden” and “Trudeau” are talking and things are getting heated

Things are going to change in the way this special group is treated

A seven o’clock curfew Saturday, in Ontario was set for these truckers to depart

If there is going to be any violence, this could be when it will start

Hundreds of millions of dollars are being lost in the “Auto Industry” everyday

Their top priority will be getting all these “semis” out of the way

Police forces from all over Ontario are being recruited to bring this to an end

This group better find themselves flexible because they will have to bend

They have to become aware of the line that they have crossed

I am hoping that this can all be resolved without any lives being lost

Olympics have now started while the NHL is on their all star break

Canada’s national sport of hockey is now what is at stake

The women’s team is powerful, they’ll bring some hardware back

As far as our men’s team goes, they have to get things on track

The ladies will come home with a silver at worse

Their only competitors are the Americans of  course

These two nations dominate all other countries year in and year out

It seems the third place finisher is the only thing that’s in doubt

Last Olympics their male counterparts finished off in third

It would be nice to see this team move up in the awards

Once again no NHL players are on this hockey crew

It will be interesting to see what they can do

Basically, they have ten days to try to accomplish this feat

Hopefully they will have the talent to be able to compete

This benefits the weaker teams that have kept their squads the same

In two thousand and eighteen Germany lost to Russia in the gold medal game

The women have already played a couple and outscored their opponents twenty three to two

Having to beat the Americans is the only obstacle that they have to get through

Last Olympics it took a shootout and United States won the gold

Here’s hoping a better fate for them will unfold

They won’t be happy with silver in this year’s quest

They won’t be satisfied once again for finishing second best

These two dynasties are the cream of the crop

It will be a hard fought battle to finish off on top

Last edition of the Olympics, Canada’s medal total was the highest they ever attained

The team sport of hockey for us is something that has been engrained

This year there is one hundred and nine medals left to be presented

I have been concentrating on the sport that our Country invented

Last Olympics, hockey gave us two medals out of a total of twenty nine

This year, don’t worry, I’m sure we will do fine

Eleven gold, eight silver and ten bronze we won along the way

So far this year we have two and it’s only Saturday

There was so many elite athletes that contributed to that record haul

I’m sorry I didn’t take the time to mention them all

So many heroes, and I haven’t uttered even one name

Instead I chose to concentrate on our national game

Each one of them are responsible for these numbers that were attained

What are the chances of us winning that many again?

Every one of them contributed and played their own role

Doing the best that they can is their ultimate goal

Our Country will be behind them and will watch them compete

We will all stand proud of their achievement in triumph or defeat

The events can be viewed throughout the night and the day

Us Canadians will be cheering for them all the way

I just finished watching the “Blackhawks” losing another one

Their season now is officially halfway done

They have only managed to have a winning streak of four games in a row

It has happened twice this year and they still have a long ways to go

They have been in every game and only have been blown out once or twice

Most games they have been competitive and have looked good on the ice

They got out of the rebuild mode when they signed some stars this year

Where things go from here isn’t exactly crystal clear

The rumours are that “Fleury” will be gone before the year is through

Once he departs this team, I don’t know what they will do?

“Fleury” is the reason that they are allowed to kick it up a gear

Without him in the net, the confidence is sure to disappear

I always thought he was overated and didn’t deserve the praise

He got off to a slow start but now he continues to amaze

This team never seemed to buy into “Jeremy Colliton’s” master plan

It has been so hard to endure and I’m a lifelong fan!

This team is now more exciting to watch and they seem to be having fun

It will be interesting to see if “Derek King ” is there when the season’s done

Once “Fleury” is traded, things will go from bad to worse

This franchise has to stick to their so-called rebuilding course

They do have some young players that are exciting to watch

This team needs some fine tuning to kick it up a notch

I’m glad they finally traded “Alex Nylander”, they had to let him go

Why they held on to him so long, I guess we’ll never know?

“Sam Lafferty” came in and has looked good from the start

Unlike “Nylander”, he plays with a lot of heart

I have been listening to all this hype and talk

I don’t see the reason they believe in “Kirby Dach”

I think they need to send him down and fine tune his game

He is not as good as these hockey experts seem to claim

In his head I believe he thinks he’s here to stay

Maybe shipping him down to “Rockford” will improve his play

Goaltending has to be a priority for this team to gain success

Who they will get to replace “Fleury” is anybody’s guess

“Kevin Lankinen” has potential, but he’s not ready now

You aren’t going to find a goalie as good as “Fleury” anyhow

The “Hawks” still have to hire a “General Manager” and he will have a plan

For some reason, I think “Eddie Olczyk” is going to be their man

It’s the same scenario when “Dale Tallon” took the seat

This is a successful formula that I think they should repeat

With “Pat Foley” retiring from doing the play by play

He might be losing some interest in doing this anyway

Sure he does the network broadcasting but he is always flying back and forth

When he assumes this new found role he will be paid what he’s worth

He is very knowledgeable and knows what this team requires

He is also a “Chicago” native that everyone admires

He would be an ideal candidate to occupy that vacant space

It can’t be good for his health having to travel from place to place

What they tried to do this year is turning out all wrong

Most of us fans are getting tired of the same old song

Set a plan and stick to it is all we ask of you

Jumping the gun is something you always seem to do

Get Eddie in the driver’s seat and let him be our guide

He will steer this ship and once again restore our pride

Last time it took fifty years to finally right this wrong

It’s time to nip it in the bud, I won’t last near that long

These past few weeks have been cold I think we can all agree

Up until this past Friday I wasn’t letting it bother me

Didn’t make any plans to venture out in this deep freeze

It was officially fourty one below zero when you factored in the breeze

Naturally the dog was stirring early on this particular day

His actions told me that he had to get out right away

So I proceeded to walk him across our kitchen floor

Then quickly let him out and shut the back door

While he was outside doing his thing

I was totally unaware of what this new day would bring

After finishing the first business that we know we all do

I went to wash my hands now that I was through

Turned on the tap but there was no water flow

Used some Lysol wipes and down the basement I did go

This was after I brought the dog in and filled his bowl

Trying to correct this lack of water situation would be my goal

I called my neighbour and things for him were just fine

Now I knew this problem was entirely mine

The pipes are frozen? Isn’t that a treat!

It was now time for me to find some source of heat

All I had was a couple of hair dryers but I tried my best

This didn’t even come close to fulfilling my quest

The first one I burned out beyond repair

The second one I used didn’t get me anywhere

The next step I called Reliance to send a plumber here

It didn’t take all that long for this man to appear

He determined that the line was frozen before it reached our place

Calling the city seemed to be the only option I had in this case

This put me in rather difficult spot

I would have to shell out money and it could be a lot!

They may have to dig up my front yard to get to the source

That’s the only way of finding the answer of course

Then you have to hope that the line is frozen on the city’s side

Either of these scenarios indicated that I was in for a bumpy ride

Two men arrived and then explained what they had to do

Told us to be patient and said they would send another crew

These two first employees tried their best and gave it their all

Said if the water flows before the next men arrive to give them a call

The next crew arrived at our house once their other job was done

They weren’t here all that long when we finally heard the water run         

It never turned out being a free job for us of course

Then again it could have turned out a whole lot worse

It would be the minimum charge that we would have to pay

It certainly turned out to be quite an eventful day

My daughter has decided to watch some tv shows dated close to the day she arrived

I thought I would follow her example but was unsure if any of them survived

She is now down to the last two seasons of “Cheers”

 I would have to go back quite a few more years

So I googled to see what popular shows were on the air

These are some of the titles I found that I would like to share

Unfortunately I will really be exposing my old age

Back then, “Perry Mason” and “Wagon Train” were the latest rage

These shows debuted all in the same year

Here’s a couple of others that also did appear

“Have Gun Will Travel” and “Leave It To Beaver” are some you may recall

These also started in nineteen fifty seven, later in the fall

This is showing my age, the more titles that I write

None of these shows are in colour, they all appear in black and white

The next example is one that you should probably know

It featured Walter Lantz on “The Woody Woodpecker Show”

So needless to say, I have no desire to watch these former hits

I might just decide to move the years up a little bit

I thought there would be more of a selection of shows for me to see

Then I remembered back then, TV networks totaled three

Here in Canada, CBC and CTV got episodes from the United States

They would choose our shows from the Americans and pay a special rate

Then you would need to pick up the signal out of the air

That’s why every house top had an aerial set up there

It was a two person operation with one on the roof and one in front of the screen

You just hollered out the window when the best picture could be seen

They shared in the programming and never ran the same show

Once you found what you liked, you knew just where to go

So between these networks you had quite a variety to choose

The only competition seemed to be for their own late night news

It’s time to get back to the main topic, I’m sorry for the deflect

The sixties and the seventies decade is the era I will select

“The Addams Family”, “The Munsters” as well

“The Beverly Hillbillies” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show” were funny as hell

“Gilligan’s Island”, “F Troop”, “Get Smart” would be fun

“Green Acres”, “Hogan’s Heroes”, “I Dream Of Jeannie” and now my sixties are done

As you can see I like the comedies and they are all a half hour show

If you are going to do some serious binging, that’s the way to go

Now as for the seventies, you have to start with “M.A.S.H.”, a comedy set during the Korean war

That’s the top rated program by far and now to name some more

“Sanford and Son”, “Rockford Files”, “All In The Family”

“Taxi”, “The Muppet Show” and “W.K.R.P. In Cincinnati”

“The Odd Couple”, “Barney Miller” and “The Bob Newhart Show

All of these choices are ones that everyone should know

“Starsky And Hutch” needs to be added, I really liked those guys

Come to think of it, I should give “Charlie’s Angels” another try

That was a program that I truly never forgot

I don’t know what captivated me? I guess it was their plot

All the commercials about products to wax your tiled floor

Oh I just remembered another that I don’t see anymore

It was aimed at the geriatric group, a product call “Geritol”

I guess I should get myself a bottle if I want to watch them all

Already we are into the second week of the new year

Still haven’t been able to get myself into gear

The temperatures have been changing from high to low

Don’t seem to have much get up and go

Extreme cold the one day, freezing rain forecast the next

A choice between frostbite or breaking your neck

I haven’t been able to pile up many steps needless to say

With more foul weather, I can’t get out there today

I’ve now gotten myself into a rut of playing games on my tablet

It’s evolved to an obsession and has become a very bad habit

My goal was to finish the last level of a game and finally be done

But just when I think I have accomplished it they add another one

Yesterday I sat on my couch and played on it the whole day through

We binge watched a season of “Cobra Kai” and I played the game too!

Then I watched my team’s hockey match which started at ten

While viewing my “Blackhawks” I was playing the game once again

When the post game show was finished it was well after one

Continuing on that infernal game and I still wasn’t done

Just finish this level and I will let it be

When I finally convinced myself it was now after three

So I got woken up by my dog before it was eight

I wanted to sleep but he couldn’t wait

Put him out the door and then fixed him some food

Once again it was raining, meaning our walk was screwed

So I am not going to venture out anytime soon

The forecast says it should continue at least until noon

So I decided to write this entry instead

The pooch is now sleeping since he’s already been fed

I can’t venture out and be on my way

Once again I will be a shut in today

So adventuring out will get another pass

I can’t afford to slip and fall on my ass

Taking a chance has somehow lost its appeal

It would take a long time for these old bones to heal

I just had another birthday and am closing in on another stage

Boxing day this year I will reach the “Golden Age”

I have never broken a bone and have no intentions of starting now

I only had some heart issues and am still around somehow

Playing these online word games intent was to exercise my brain

Putting in all this valuable time for it is getting insane

This morning I left my tablet on the night stand

It feels kind of weird without it being in my hand

I’m going to give it my best to leave it alone

Force myself to finally get out of this zone

Maybe I can get myself on a different streak

I will slowly wean myself off for the rest of the week

Perhaps it’s my new year’s resolution ten days too late

Forgive me for being so slow getting out of the gate