A New Year's Well Spent

'Twas the night before oh-five
and all through the house
nothing could be heard
but the clicking of a mouse.

Boxes were strewn
on the floor with no care
as Red poured over applications
to get out of there.

Toronto, Ottawa
Carleton, Waterloo
maybe Conestoga?
What on earth should he do?

Then to his rescue
came the überpimp, Hank!
Red might just be saved
from those damn filthy Yanks!

A degree in policing?
How perfect was that
With joy in his heart
Red stepped up to bat.

All through the new year
he read without pause
not caring about midnight
this kid had a cause.

On student visas, on passports,
on certificates, on immigration,
On permanent residence
Ontario! And the Canadian nation!

With the click of some buttons
and the whir of his drive
suddenly the modem
was humming, alive.

It sent bits, even bytes!
of encoded information
that might someday lead him
from Missourian damnation.

Though his grades weren't the greatest
and he'd forgotten to shower
he vowed to do his best
and worked with all his power.

'Til finally, exhaused
he sat and leaned back
taking in the silence
and plotting ninja-style attacks.

It was there that slowly
he drifted to sleep
and dreamt sweet dreams
of his Canadian peeps.