Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year!



(With apologies and appreciation to Clement Moore...and maybe Dr. Seuss. And here's a little instant replay from last year..just for Auld Lang Syne.)


Twas the week before New Years'
And all through this site
Not a blogger was working
Not even to write.

Our books are all saved on our thumb drives with care
In hopes that bestseller lists soon would be there.
Our new novels were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of royalties danced in our heads.

The Jungle Red sisters, five east and one west
Had just settled our brains for a well-deserved rest.

When in PW’s pages--There arose such a clatter
We opened the mag to see what was the matter!

To the review pages we turned in a flash
To see Hallie and Jan both praised with panache!

The bookstores were loving “A for M’ by our Ro
And Rosemary’s gardener continued to grow!

And what to our wondering eyes should appear
Rhys and Hank pubbing new ones—and early next year!

But what makes us the happiest—keeps every day new?
We knew in a moment—it’s our blogging crew!


You listen, you chatter, you join in the game
We cheer you, we love you, we call you by name!


Thanks, Laura! Thanks Edith! Thanks Becky and Lee!
Thanks Michael, Susannah and S. Con-no-lly!

We love Maddy, and Rhonda, Felicia and Clare
We hope Amy and JB will always be there

To June and to Karen, to Marianne, too
Love to Janet. And Mo. And to Peter. (He’s new.)

Our guest bloggers were stellar
Chris! Mary! La Barnes?!
To the Paulas, and Maddee, and the fab Cathy Cairns.

To Jane, Gin and Charlaine (queen of the LIST!)
To the Femmes and to Lipstick--consider you're kissed.

Christina! Elizabeth! Alex! Michelle!
Hail “Anonymous” too—your comments are swell.

We had memories, recipes, tales of our youth
We’ve had jokes, and disasters, and telling the truth.
To the top of the lists! To the top of them all!
We’re revising, and writing, and sharing our call!

As dry words before our reviser’s pen fly
When they meet with cliché, and we fix them (we try):

We’ve landed at New Years, and our thoughts go to you
May you read perfect books, may your wishes come true!

May you waste not a word, may you write fresh and new
And fill all your stories with mysteries and clues

And remember: on days that things don’t turn out right
And you wonder if this was a fraud and a fright

You have sisters on line—there are six of us here!
And each one is wishing you all-the-year cheer.


And we all say—we love you! ‘Fore you click from our site--
Happy New Year to All
and long may you Write!

12 comments:

  1. Oh how cute. Here's wishing all things good for those here. May the New Year bring lots of happiness, good health, success and great cheer.
    Happy New Year.

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  2. I'm so impressed with people who can do these rhyme things. I missed that gene. Happy New Year to all!

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  3. Thanks for a great year of blogs, Jungle Redders, and for letting us all comment way more than necessary. May the New Year bring lots of easily written words and brilliantly crafted stories to us all (along with good health, money, and fun, of course...).

    Edith

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  4. I don't always comment, but the Jungle Red Writers is one of my first stops every morning. Thank you for wit, wisdom, camaraderie, and some darn fine reading!

    May the New Year bring you health, wealth, and wisdom!

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  5. Wow! I don't think we missed too many people in that poem! It's been a great year at JR. Thanks for joining us for morning coffee, lunchtime chats, midnight snacks and well-deserved breaks from writing.
    A bientot!

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  6. Ah, this poem is turning into another Holiday Classic. :)

    Anyway, Happy New Year to all of you - readers, writers. May 2010 bring joy and blessings.

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  7. Happy new year to all my friends here at Jungle Red!

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  8. Awh! I have to say I miss your songs. I used to hope people would quit just so we could get you to write a new one!!

    :) Marianne

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  9. Brilliant poem!
    And hugs and many thanks to my blog sisters. I just wish I weren't so far away, but I look forward to seeing you at Malice, maybe even at Left Coast Crime.
    And here is to a year of health, happiness and brilliant success for us all, and for all those fellow mystery writers who take the time to visit us regularly.
    I can't tell you how much we appreciate your comments.

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  10. GReat poem Hank.

    I've been offline converting from a PC to a MAc and am now back in action.

    So belated Happy New Year to all.

    And Edith, there's no such thing as commenting more than necessary. We love every comment!! the more the better!

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