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# The Weekend Before Christmas
December 23 2021
Written by James Preston Allen.
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*And all was asleep except…*
‘Twas the weekend before Christmas
while the moon was full.
From ship to crane in a harbor that’s full,
the port’s humming and workers are draying toys meant for stores.
Hustling and bustling at breakneck speed
to fulfill promises that stockings would be
filled from toe to knee
With merchandise we all adore.
The officials say that it’ll be months before
the backlog of goods are taken from our shores.
They blame Covid.
They blame consumers.
They say Amazon and eBay goods are just that good,
but they can’t explain the calamity of their
logistics chain that started the year before.
There’s talk about a shortage of truckers,
But silent on why truckers aren’t paid employees.
There’s talk about a shortage of warehouse space,
But silent on workers and their lack of union needs.
They don’t talk about the shipping companies
or their avarice or greed.
A 20-foot container from China-
$20,000 it exceeds.
It’s not about the people,
either on the Waterfront or the road.
It’s not about workers
who have worked through the fjord,
while sacrificing their lives at corona death’s door
The world once hailed them “heroes.”
Now they are ones preferred not seen and unheard.
No one seems to know the cause or the cure.
It’s been two years of struggle
between what people need and
what some others believe for sure.
There’s conflict and no resolution;
there’s a hunger for change and courage is needed.
but no one is sure what it exactly means.
We are at a crossroads
and the measure isn’t sure.
By whatever measure,
we will bleed.
The time is nigh,
which side do you believe?
It’s easy to be led astray these days.
Fake news and disinformation keeps our wits at bay.
With so much information,
it is hard to be sure of the ground
on which we stand.
So, we sit in our shelters
and think we are safe and secure.
We buy Christmas presents
and sing carols in the choir.
But after the revelry is gone,
we’ll still have to reckon
with the things not in song.
There’ll be a pause on January 6,
our darkest day we’ll recall
that it must be fixed
hoping we don’t fall for grift or tricks.
We’ll cry for justice
But it could just get nixed.
So the full moon rises
over Port of LA
Ships are backed beyond Catalina isle
and the most that they can say is:
24/7, we’re working on it.
Help is on the way.
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