Regional
Regional Op-Ed | Kathryn Gray: Good King Wenceslas On Donner Summit
Author: Kathryn Gray, Serene Lakes
Published on Dec 26, 2007, 07:57

December 26 - Boxing Day in England, and also St. Stephen's Day - which brings us one of the most beautiful Christmas Songs of all - Good King Wenceslas, who brought food and wood to a poor man and his family, right against the forest fence, near Saint Agnes' fountain - here, the Donner Summit version.

Good King Wenceslas On Donner Summit

Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the feast of Steven,
Donner's snow lay round about , deep and crisp and even,
So bleak was the sky that night, and knowing the task was grave,
he wondered how, in spite of all, the Summit he could save.

Hither, page, and stand by me, if thou knows't, telling
how we save the Summit from Royal Gorge's selling?
Sire, they've played a funny game, in the Placer County
Needs we must go now to work, for to assure true bounty.

Bring me pen, and paper now, lawyers' words advising,
me thinks we can phrase it well, against their clever devising,
All of Donner Summit will be thinking of uprising
Ski runs, and 1000 houses --we must be chastising.

Willow flycatchers all, in their willows withy,
Pacific Martens, hiding so, in old-growth so swiftly,
The beauty of this Summit must not be destroyed
by Royal Gorge's schemes , er'r how artfully employed.

Sire, they're bewildering me, with their words so clever
fearsome am I Donner Summit will be ruined forever.
Dear page, don't distress yourself- all will turn out well
These ugly houses and hotels- Royal Gorge can't sell.

As for wrecking granite Mountains so shining
that would be a modern version of brutal strip mining,
Golden will these Mountains stay, so loved by John Muir
All of us will fight so well, that they may endure.

Kathryn Gray, a Donner Summit homeowner, wishes the Best of New Year's to all.

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