Last Time I Went A-Wassailing

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Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

Last Time I Went A-Wassailing

Having voracious appetites for whimsy and for wine,
and although the custom is not culturally mine,
I find passing the wassail cup  simply too divine.
Sadly, with each passing, I’m increasingly supine
until the floor once under foot ends up under my spine.

Asked to leave the party when I got out of line,
I thought I’d go a-caroling somewhere except online.
Alas, I lost my Wassail cup near Hollywood and Vine,
and afterwards my harmonies started to decline.
So if you dare to venture out and take the same bus line,
 if you find a Wassail cup, it’s certain to be  mine!!

Prompt words today are wine, voracious, wassail, and whimsy.

Wassailing is a British tradition, but how it was initially performed seems to have varied by region. The most modern version involves wishing good cheer and health in the coming year to the people around you, usually while drinking a warm spiced punch. The wassail beverage likely started as a hot, sweetened mead or wine. Nowadays, the punch is a bit more complex, with fall spices, fruit juices, and sometimes other liquors added to the mulled wine or cider.

8 thoughts on “Last Time I Went A-Wassailing”

  3. SAM VOELKER

    Love the poem but still a little too soon for me, I have not even gotten my Festivus Pole out of the attic yet, though I do have the Christmas Reef up on the porch, but then it has been there for several years now, a bit dusty. However thanks for reminding me, I am out of Old Southern Comfort, made from good old Mississippi River Water, must make a quick run to the Liquor Store~!

    One of these years I am going to go out and chop down one of those 86 million, 900 thousand, 5 hundred and 64 junipers I having growing on my place and decorate it with toilet paper. In the meantime my festivus pole and a potted kumquat tree will have to suffice. ;-0
    SAM

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    1. lifelessons Post author

      For the past two years, I’ve just wrapped my tree in plastic and stored it in the laundry. The other day when I had the only company I’m likely to have during the holiday season, I had Pasiano bring it in and with a little readjustment it is as good as new. I actually love seeing it as ever decoration on it tells a story of past travels and adventures. It sits right next to my desk with only the lower 1/2 obscured by a drawer stack and filing cabinet. Needless to say, it isn’t real, but a wonderful metal open structure. You’ll no doubt see photos of it. It would be a fun prompt to have people take a photos of a Christmas ornament and tell the story behind it. Perhaps I’ll do that.

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