'Twas the Night Before 2015

'Twas the start of 2014, when all through the House,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

Protests erupted in Ukraine here and there,
As slaughter in Syria became less rare;

The first woman was chosen to lead the Fed;
While West Virginians faced a gross watershed;

Controversies gave the Sochi games a bad rap,
And Venezuelan conditions made people snap,

When a UN report arose such a clatter,
That showed North Korea’s crimes really do matter.

Away to Crimea troops flew like a flash,
Tore open the borders and promised some cash.

Hundreds of Egyptians to death were to go,
CIA spying on Senators caused a row,

North Korean missile tests did create fear,
And mudslides in Washington caused death over here,

While a Malaysian airplane disappeared so quick,
Obama hoped NSA reforms would stick.

More rapid than eagles Russian troops they came,
As voting in Afghanistan led to acclaim:

“Now, democracy! now, freedom! now fairness and liberty!
On, elections! on, justice! on, peace and equality!

U.S. campaign contribution limits did fall,
Now cash away! cash away! cash away all!”

A South Korean ferry crash caused kids to die,
As Nigerian girls were snatched out of the sky;

The U.S. traded for Bergdahl, yes, its true
In Thailand, the military staged a big coup--

General Motors recalled cars to fix a goof
And more mass shootings sent fear way through the roof.

With violence the Islamic State took over ground,
The Taliban attacked an airport it was found.

Germany won the World Cup with skills of the foot,
And new sanctions on Russia the U.S. did put;

A bundle of files breached with a Chinese hack,
Israel and Hamas agreed to get peace back.

A shooting in Ferguson made people wary!
The Ebola outbreak was deadly and scary!

The NBA told an owner he had to go,
And off-field problems for the NFL did grow;

To protesters Hong Kong’s mayor showed his teeth,
Elsewhere beheadings occurred with knife out of sheath;

Ebola made more people sick to their belly
While the wildfires out west made smoke that was smelly.

Scotland's big dream of statehood was put on the shelf,
As a man jumped the White House fence all by himself;

A Canadian man shot a soldier dead 
Blackwater guards’ prison sentences were read;

In the town of Kobani danger did lurk,
Airbags were recalled because they did not work,

Same-sex marriage rights spread in spite of the foes,
And Ferguson marched on as violence arose;

Money flew to campaigns while PACs gave a whistle,
And away Dems’ seats flew like the down of a thistle.

Obama exclaimed as Congress swung to the right--
“I’ve still got two years left, and I’ll keep up the fight!”