’Twas the night before Christmas 2024

And across the land of the free and home of the brave

The campaigning was over.

Families and friends gathered

Praying the other would behave.

Campaign hats, buttons and signs were stashed away

In hopes that their disappearance would inspire

Talking in a courteous way.

45’s supporters, lawyers and future appointees

Were all snug in their beds,

While visions of a future wrought

By “Agenda 25” and “Project 2025”

Danced in their heads.

Kamala’s supporters, donors, funders, and

Democracy lovers awakened

From their winter’s nap with a scream

In their slumber they remembered 45 was elected 47

And they wished it was a bad dream.

Across the land there arose such a clatter,

Everyone sprang to their windows to see

What was the matter.

Before their wondering eyes appeared

Leonard Leo leading Congregational Republicans,

Christian Nationalists, White Supremacists, Heritage Foundation leaders,

Federalist Society members, corporate moguls, and dark money campaign funders.

Singing the praises of their fearless leader

Who they pretend to revere.

On social media they posted,

“Our secret plan devised so long ago

To replace liberal democracy

With an authoritarian we control

Is no longer a secret because

Soon everyone will know.

We found a promoter of chaos and constant lies,

Who is without shame.

A performer who fooled so many to believe

Only he understood their pain.

We won and you,

Socialist liberals, LBGTQ+ and,

DEI advocates and progressives lost.

Now, us faux patriots will make you, and so

Many unsuspecting citizens bear the cost.

On Jan. 20, 2025, a new nation will arise.

‘Project 2025’ will be 47’s and his appointees’ guide.

Soon it will only be men who determine

women’s reproductive health,

And make sure no women or minorities

Take any white men’s jobs by stealth.

More tax breaks for the wealthy.

Fewer programs and funds for those in need

Invoke the “Alien and Enemies Act”

That will ensure we succeed.

We, the super wealthy investors in

47’s kleptocracy will call the shots.

If you resist, the FBI will find you,

And 47’s Justice Department

Will make sure you serve a sentence or two.

We’ll do our best to close the Department of Education,

And break up the FBI, NIH, FDIC, and the CDC.

We’ll even try to privatize Medicare,

Medicaid, USPS and Social Security.

We’ll promote deregulation,

Get rid of many unnecessary

Federal bureaucratic jobs,

And in their place put appointees

Who have no knowledge, expertise or cogent thoughts.

With threats, Musk and Ramaswamy will pitch DOGE

For Republican legislators must be loyal like a dog.

Suddenly, they fell silent

For they heard a sound that crescendo

And scared them as it seemed to surround.

“Is this the ‘others’ who will try to disrupt our plans?

Not possible, because our Supremes see things

From our point of view

Since we gave a few of them

Lots of free trips and food.

Slowly thousands of democracy champions emerged

Singing freedom songs, and shouting

“We will fight for democracy and our rights

Now is the time to make ‘Good Trouble’

Don’t surrender our democracy without a fight.

We will go to the courts, to Congress,

Crisscross the highways and byways of this land.

We will expose lies and propaganda

By supporting the truth

With science and observable facts.

We will not become citizen somnambulists

For our history tells us that

The Republic was not created

For just a few.

Rich White Nationalists.”

From some ethereal source, “Silent Night”

Mysteriously floated through the air.

Both crowds settled as the night sky, turned bright.

When it ended, the Ghost of Christmas Future spoke,

“Your democratic republic may survive

The next four years if most of its citizens

Exercise a judicious sense of what not to believe,

And exercise their constitutional rights

Most vigorously.”

All departed and went their separate ways,

Knowing tomorrow would be Christmas Day.

Robert Kubacki lives in Greenfield.