Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Yes! It's the Jungle Red Holiday Poem



HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: With apologies and appreciation to Clement Moore...and maybe Dr. Seuss. 

Here's this year’s Jungle Red Holiday Greeting! 

Twas the night before Christmas
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 two west
Had just settled our brains for a well-deserved rest.

When in magazine pages--There arose such a clatter
We opened the things to see what was the matter!

To the mag’s review pages we turned in a flash
To see Julia’s new book oft praised with panache!

The readers were loving the Wrong Girl by Hank
(And Hallie's “Old Woman” put cash in her bank!)

Debs’ Gemma and James are in book now—sixteen?
And Rhys is awaiting a nod from the Queen.

Our Lucy—she’s sunning herself with some zest
There’ll soon be some more of her tales from Key West!

And what to our wondering eyes should appear

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, Thelma! Thanks Edith! Thanks darling Joan E!
Both Karens, Susannah and our Michele D.

Hail Ramona, and Marianne, Tiger and Clare
We hope Brenda and DebRo will always be there

Here’s to Reine, and to Kathy, to Mary and Jack
To Lisa and Lori—we know you’ll come back!

Same for Linda, and Leslie, we love you as well,
And dear Mary Garrett--the stories she’ll tell!

Kaye Barley, we love you, and love to Don, too.
(We know that Wimsey’s a breakthrough for you!)

Our guest bloggers were stellar:
Rozan and Fay
We brought SJ and Lipman to brighten your day!

To Delia, and Kristopher (king of the LIST!)
To Rodrigo our genius--consider you're kissed.

Hail to Rosemary Harris, and all that you do--
Hail “Anonymous” also--love hearing from you!

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’re almost at New Years, and our thoughts go to you
May you write 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 myst'ries 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 sev’n 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 Holidays to All
—and long may you Write!




45 comments:

  1. Why that’s so clever and cute, and it’s true as can be
    And we’re all hoping to find your books under our tree!

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  2. Thank you, and the same to you all, Jungle Reds and all my commenter buddies, too!

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  3. Speechless. Christmas Love back to you all.

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  4. Adorable! Best wishes to all Reds and Friends for a lovely holiday!

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  5. Hank, you are AWESOME!
    Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away, all!

    Hugs to all this Christmas even! -- Hallie who is trying to get a few hours of writing in before tackling tomorrow morning's sticky buns.

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  6. Lovely! So thrilled to be a Red and meet and get to know all of you.

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  7. Charming! Hank, you are SOOOOOOO talented!
    Hugs to all! Thelma in Manhattan

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  8. Hank you are brilliant! love to all of you Jungle Reds! xoxo

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  9. Oh, how sweet! Thank you! And I wish all of you - the JRW ladies (and all of us who love you) a very merry happy joyful blessed season of love and peace, and all the same and MORE in the New Year!
    xoxox

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  10. Standing and clapping: BRAVA!!

    Love this, Hank. You are a talented poetess, my dear.

    Merry Christmas, everyone. And thank you for including me in the poem, for daily entertaining here, and for all your wonderfully written stories and books. I love the many friendships made here. Hope Santa is good to you all, because you deserve it!

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  11. I've been absent (red face of embarrassment!) this past week while prepping for Christmas for the family and thirty-four guests, but hosting a large dinner pales beside the achievement of this poem.

    Hank, you're not only more full of the holiday spirit than Tiny Tim, you're a poet of renown! Clement Moore, in the next world, is doffing his hat to you, and I do the same.

    Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good write!

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  12. Wonderfully done! Thank you all on JRW for the many fantastic books and the always interesting daily posts. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and may the New Year bring you happiness and joy.

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  13. Hank Phillippi Ryan, you are amazing. I join Karen in Ohio in the applause and standing ovation - BRAVA! Author Author!

    And I love you to the moon and back. Being a small teeny part of the Reds is a big huge joy in my life.

    Merry Christmas, everyone - Mwah!

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  14. Aww..thinking of you all...this is such an incredible blog! And it's a joy to be part of it..

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  15. Hank, you are brilliant!!!

    Wishing you all REDS and DEAR READERS, the very merriest of Christmases--and a wee bit of nog:-)

    You all have brightened my year, and I can't wait for the next one!

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  16. Wishing all the Reds and blog pals all things merry & bright,

    xo
    Leslie

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  17. led here by Facebook and so glad I was!! Merry Christmas, Jungle Red Writers.......how you delight, inspire and cheer us all on....

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  18. Merry Christmas Hank, may Santa bring you everything you've wished for. I am so blessed to have found you on FB!Also have a Happy New Year <3...Georgia Akin

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  19. Merry Christmas, Reds! We do something similar to this each year to add in with our Christmas cards. So much fun to do. Happy holidays to all!

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  20. So I was scrolling through Facebook and saw Hanks link to this page and was thrilled with the adaptation of this Christmas poem. I wish you all a very happy holiday and prosperous new year

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  21. That was just the loveliest poem for a Christmas Eve morning!

    Thank you Hank!

    And happy holidays to all the Jungle Reds and their fans.

    I am a better person for having you all in my life.

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  22. So what's everyone doing today? I am trying to decide what to do...so far, so read the paper. Hmm. Better get going!

    How about you?

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  23. And so wonderful to see some new "faces"--Jean, Georgia, Donna! Come back tomorrow--for a very special story!

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  25. What a fabulous poem! Happy Holidays to the Reds and to the many wonderful people I've met in the comments section on these pages. I'm looking forward to many more lively conversations with you all in 2014. Happy New Year!!

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  26. Absolutely Brilliant, Hank and a merry Christmas to all who make the Reds world so special!

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  27. Love it! And I love that reference to Kaye and Whimsey, too. Merry Christmas, everyone!

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  28. Ah, what a lovely piece to find on Christmas Eve day. Thanks to Hank and all of you. Triss

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  29. Triss! Lesa! SO lovely to see you.. Happiest of holidays..

    Lesa, I dont have your Evansville address! Grrr.. can you send?

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  30. I am having a traveling Christmas this year,
    Seeing many of the people and places I hold dear.
    But I try every day, no matter where I might be,
    To check in on Jungle Red for advice and a laugh.
    Thank you, seven sisters bold,
    For your books, your posts, and your generous souls!

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  31. Hank, that was awesome. Thank you so much! A very Merry Christmas to all of the Reds!

    My family has descended upon me. With a little luck I'll get some writing time in as I have taken off work through Sunday

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  32. I love it.

    Thank you all for entertaining us with your words.

    Happy Holidays!

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  33. Love reading you here and on FB.
    Merry Merry to all.

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  34. Dru! YOu are the best...we all rely on you. YOU are a gift every day.

    and the BAINS! What are you working on???

    MAry.. have fun...and yes, keep writing! YOu are so talented..

    and Denise Ann! YAY! xooo Next year, I'm consulting with you on the poem!

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  35. Loved it!!!
    PS. FACEBOOK. :)

    Pen M
    pmettert@yahoo.com

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  36. Easy to see why I love this blog so much! Finding the Jungle Red Writers was the finest reading gift of 2013, and it truly is one that keeps on giving. Hank, I, too am close to speechless at the genius of your poem. To include the names of those who regularly comment on the blog was such a thoughtful addition. I am recovering from a bad cold, and your poem, along with my antiobiotic and steroids (lol), has give me a boost of great cheer.

    Merry Christmas to all of you beautiful, talented ladies who give us so much all year long!

    Now, put down your pens and raise up your glasses
    So your readers can toast you beautiful lasses.

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  38. Aw...so nice to hear from you all! Thank you!

    Tomorrow, come back for a Christmas story..you could even read ii out loud to your families--if you're careful of your audience!

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  39. This is wonderful, Hank. Thank you. xoxoxoxo

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  40. This is awesome!

    Happy Holidays!


    Nancy

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  41. Such a wonderful thank you! FB sent me here to be entered for a gift of THE WRONG GIRL.

    Thank you all for the books you've written that give us such great reading pleasure.

    Merry Christmas.

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  42. WINNERS! of The Wrong Girl are JeanStafford and Karen B-- I have messsaged or emailed you..let me know! And Hurray!

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