How the Grinch Stole Freedom-Ville
By Suzanne Wagner

 

Every person down in Freedom-ville.
Loved their country a lot…
But the Grinch,
Who lived in his gold tower
In Man-Handle-ton
Did NOT!

The Grinch hated when people were free!
The Grinch despised equality!
Now, no one knows exactly the reason why.
It could be that in his childhood the rules were too tight.
It could be that he needed something that he did not ever get.
It could be that his father did not notice or forgive.
But I think that the most likely reason for his terrible plight
was a heart that was never given enough love and light.

So one day he looked out from this tower
and saw that love was beginning to flower.
He snarled and glared with a pout on his face.
I must find a way to stop such a disgrace!
Then he growled, and with his finger nervously drumming,
he tweeted lies and kept accusations coming.

For,
Tomorrow, he knew….he was going to make a change.
He was going to make himself great again.

But
For whatever reason, his small heart or small hands,
he stared down from his tower at the people protesting his commands.

With his sour face and Grinchy frown,
he continued to try to break the world down.
There were those that would not listen you see.
They continued to love indefinitely.
They continued to love and shine a light,
through the darkness and fear that he tried to ignite.

People shouted and banged the drum,
of love and peace to make a world of Yum!

The Grinch hated the joy he wanted to keep it all.
No one else was to enjoy that thrall.

He cloistered himself way up high,
and brought only those who agreed with his lie.
They too bought into his greed and control.
They also had small hands, hearts, and souls.

But down below the people of Freedom-Ville
made lots of noise and danced until.
Those that were angry began to turn,
back towards the love that endlessly burned.
All were invited and asked to join.
All were allowed regardless of color or coin.

The Grinch was angry and could not stand to hear,
the joy and laughter as he wanted them to fear.

And then the people of Freedom-Ville,
did something that the Grinch could not fulfill.

Every person from Freedom-Ville,
the tall the short, the dark and light,
the hurt and happy, and those with fright,
started singing a song of peace and hope.
And suddenly the people felt that they could cope.
But the Grinch could not stand it, he would not comply.
He wanted a world he could control with his lies.
He lost his mind and reacted in rants.
His anger wanted to destroy all the world even the plants.
He wanted the money more than the love.
He wanted them to fear him high up above.

Then the Grinch got an awful idea!

He would disguise himself as a person that cared for the plight
of those that suffered in his created blight.
He pretended to change and wanted to help others heal.
He pretended to care when he was just looking for another deal.
Half of those in Freedom-Ville
believed they should listen to his appeal.
All those actions that caused so much harm.
They wanted to believe he could spin another yarn.
They called out, “Give him a chance!
Perhaps even he can learn to dance!”
That feeling inside that guides you to truth.
They ignored it all in the face of his sleuth.

The Grinch gathered up the most despicable types
who had the power but would show stars and stripes.
He tried to make up stories to show
that his associates were honest down to their toes.
He dressed them up and made them pretend
that they were honorable and willing to bend.

Then he made himself into a savior of sorts
after all he knew so many where looking for that type of support.
Some of the people of Freedom-Ville were lazy you see.
They really wanted others to do what they found hazy.
So the Grinch capitalized on that confusion and fog.
He spoke in ways that felt like breathing smog.

So all dressed up to impress and provoke
he brought his entourage down to those “lower” folk.
To distort and separate, to create fear and despair,
to break their hearts and their wills ensnare.

He took from the people all that he could.
He took joy and he took the good.
He ran in bliss as the fear took control.
He changed all that love into gold.
Then he ran like a miser back to his home,
to his bank vault he wallowed in his golden tower dome.

He had taken all the love. He had taken all the joy.
It was his to control and his to employ.

He took their food. He took their trees.
He took the land and killed the bees.

He lied to the children and took away their hope.
He did not care how they would cope.
All that mattered was what would fill up his heart.
But his heart was small and this gold stuff would not make is heart start.

So he did not care if his heart would not beat,
then he would make everyone’s also like his in defeat.

He took it all and he danced in the street.
He brought it all to his tower which was quite a feat.

He smiled at his skill, he smiled that he had won.
“The people of Freedom-Ville would finally succumb.”
Now all those people who believe in love
will know that they depend completely upon me above.”

Then there was a noise and such a cry.
The Grinch listened and smiled so sly.
Waiting for that pain to explode
but as he watched something below began to glow.

The sound was not sad the sound was of joy.
He thought, “This cannot be as I have all the toys!”

The Grinch peered down from his protected tower
to see the glow of a golden shower.
The people had joined their hands in peace.
They realized that things would not make them complete.

He had not stopped the love at all.
He had created a space for a greater call.

And the Grinch with his grinch-hands and ice-cold grinch-heart
was puzzled at how this could even start.

“How could they be happy they are supposed to be sad.
I have all the stuff, packages, and bags.”
He thought and he thought till his thinker was sore.
Till he finally thought of something he hadn’t thought of before.
“What if love does not come from a store?
What if love is something more?

And then something happened as he touched his small heart
and with those small hands he felt a beat start.
Suddenly his heart did not feel so tight.
His heart got bigger in the bright morning light.

He called all the minions up to his tower
and asked them to create a golden coin shower.

So from way high up above
all that was taken he wanted to get rid of.

The moral of this story you see
is that you cannot take from someone what was meant to be.
Within each heart no matter how small
is a spark that needs love and is an ego’s downfall.
When you will not allow another’s greed to take
what you have cultivated and carefully baked.
Then you are full no matter what someone does.
You are complete when there is no “because”.
~Parody by Suzanne Wagner~