My friend sent me a card
he's doing well
playing his baroque oboe
with fellow amateurs
which is to say with other lovers
of that rich vein
that gave us Bach, Vivaldi
Handel, Telemann
a host of others
less known but also gifted
in the art of counterpoint
the card he sent
along with season's greetings
included wishes for the coming year
an end to the pandemic and an end
to Mr Trump's dishonest rant and all the fascist
lies and efforts to tear down what's shown itself
more fragile than we'd thought
our proud democracy
imperfect but still precious
my friend had one more wish
that all the world's nuclear plants be buried
under Himalayas of concrete
and what would I
and maybe you as well
not give to see these wishes
come to pass