Twas the Night of Deportation

The Obama administration is following through on its inhumane New Year's resolution to deport undocumented Central American Women and Children-many of whom came to this country fleeing for their lives.

Just before celebrating Christmas and the birth of Jesus- arguably the most famous undocumented immigrant of all time- the Washington Post reported that the Department of Homeland Security was preparing to launch a series of raids targeting such families for deportation. Not wanting to be one-upped in "Bah Humbugs" Donald Trump claimed credit for the idea. Yesterday, The Dallas Morning News reported that the raids had begun.

In keeping with this antithetical holiday spirit, I share with you a satirical rendition of that classic holiday poem, "the Night before Christmas." I call it "The Day after New Years."

The Day After New Years

By Allen S. Keller

(with acknowledgments and apologies to Clement Clarke Moore's 1823 classic "A visit from St. Nicholas"

Twas the day after New Years raids by Obama's Administration
Central American mothers and children rounded up for deportation

They had come to our country, fleeing death threats and fear
Refugees seeking protection, for which Lady Liberty stands so clear

But unwelcomed as refugees, rather treated like pawns,
Politicians, would be presidents, to the right did they fawn.

The President's supporters watched in horror and disbelief
Was he trying to appease the far right by being "Deporter in Chief."

Good people cross our nation offered these families housing and protection
Love and kindness more humane, than for profit family detention.

When outside one safe house, there arose such a clatter.
Mother's sprang from their beds to see what was the matter.

And what to their terrified eyes should appear,
A black SUV on its front grill an impaled reindeer

From a reckless, cruel driver, it's antlers now bloody red;
All watching that moment knew the poor reindeer was dead.

From the car emerged a man who looked mean and a grump
His brow furrowed with hatred, His name, Donald Trump.

His eyes cold as ice a hawkish twist of his head
Soon made these mothers know they had everything to dread.

For a photo op Trump had come, wanting to seem tough and tall
Spewing xenophobia and hatred, rants of building a wall.

"We don't need more illegals, we don't need them at all."
"What we need is enforcement, what we need is a wall."

Trump said "Obama's faking toughness, he's just copying me,
"It was I who called them rapists and murders and freeloaders you see"

Immigration Enforcement then started their raid.
There was anger to quell; a bill of hatred to be paid.

They broke through the home's door with a bang oh so telling.
"Come out with your hands up" Immigration officers started yelling.

And then came a sound from behind a closed door,
What danger they wondered for them lurked in store.

They kicked the door down their guns locked and flying,
Then they realized what they'd heard was the sound of children crying.

Outside they heard Trump scream "Beware of the others"
But before them lay scared children in the arms of their Mothers

The mom's knew little English, but knew well pointed guns
As they pleaded in Spanish-"Please don't hurt our daughters and sons.

The terror on their faces, this the officers clearly saw,
"We're just doing our jobs, we're just enforcing the law."

But the officers' cold eyes, then did melt from compassion you
Though understanding little Spanish, they understood a mother's plea

Said one officer to another, "Well there's nothing for us here."
Then they nodded at the mothers and just walked out of there.

Outside they told Trump, no danger here did there lurk
Trump grinned an evil grin and looked askance with a smirk.

To his car, Trump returned the dead deer impaled in front,
To New Hampshire, I'll bring this trophy, It will show, I love to hunt."

Smiling faces at this house's windows as Trump drove out of sight,
But in other homes cross our nation, the fear continued night after night.