for an old Advent song

Christmas is coming
and I hope the fat goose
is rescued
and the old man
gets at least
two pennies in the hat
and
God bless you
the goose
the man
the Cratchits
(vegetarian)
and you

c l couch


Christmas is coming;
the goose is getting fat.
Please to put a penny
in the old man’s hat.

If you haven’t a penny,
a ha’penny will do;
If you haven’t a ha’penny,
then God bless you!

(an old, famous, English doggerel—more antique-feeling, at least in these parts, with the extinction of the penny)


photo by Elijah Mears on Unsplash 
Back of a union shield penny.