Once upon a mid-November, as I struggled to remember
Just how many times I'd put my laptop through this yearly chore,
With Thanksgiving drawing nearer, I thought of things both dear and dearer,
When by chance I passed a mirror as I paced my study floor.
I gazed and noticed lines and wrinkles that I'd never seen before.
My mind then turned to days of yore.
Back in autumn '97, equal parts of hell and heaven
Filled my days where I was filming, toiling on a distant shore.
The scenery was rich and varied, though the crew was rather harried,
Five more years would see me married to the woman I adore.
I'd met and wooed her on that shoot as my unlikely paramour.
And we're together ever more.
One thing, though, that didn't live up, in those months of youthful pre-nup
Was the menu served the crew at the hotel inside whose door
We went about our daily living, ordering with much misgiving;
So when the date came to Thanksgiving, expectations didn't soar.
I must admit that each new bowl of murky soup I did abhor.
We got by on esprit de corps.
But that was then and this is now, and since that day I've made a vow
To bend some words in celebration, my loved ones all to reassure
That there's no scent like turkey basting, scrumptious dishes for the tasting,
I haven't time to be a-wasting, though I've said it all before.
This Thursday in November finds me nothing but a turkey-vore––
A kid inside a candy store.
Yes, let me take another moment, and your appetite to foment,
As I mention yet again some favorites that you've heard before:
Stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, light meat, dark meat, braised tomatoes,
This is how my kind of day goes when there's tasty food galore!
For many years my waistline clocked in faithfully at thirty-four.
Are those days also nevermore?
So there I stood inside my study, sending love to everybody,
Thinking how I've aged, and counting things I can't do anymore,
When I realized that at last, with all the years that I've amassed,
A milestone must've surely passed––so through the calendars I tore.
I've been sending out these things for ten long years, and ten years more.
That's right, my dears, it's been a score.
Twenty years have come and gone since that first missive from Saigon,
And I've been blessed to add so many friends and loved ones, that's for sure.
So whether you are young or old, I'm glad to have you in the fold,
And now let's eat before it's cold, as one last time I must implore:
Find joy in your Thanksgiving and remember what you're thankful for.
I send my love forevermore!