Twas the Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and all hushed was the sound,

Save the hooves of the reindeer pounding the ground

In anticipation, for soon they would fly,

In mystic formation through blackened night sky

But something was different, something awry

The sleigh still was empty though near time to fly,

So Dasher, Dancer, and Comet now mused,

And stood they confounded, befuddled, confused

Yet Inside the house with elves by his chair

Santa scanned lists of who, what and where,

We must make delivery we must get it right,

To circle the world, in only one night

So Santa sat there in the dead of that night

His warm face aglow all bathed in the light

Of tiny bright candles, and each one a spot,

Of ten billion atoms of colourful dots

Now what shall I bring them to lighten their days

To brighten their Christmas to strengthen their ways,

And what did they ask for, in what will they thrill,

I must get it right for their stockings to fill

A TV for Tony

A dolly for Drew

An Iphone for Ivy

And perfume for Pru

A camera for Cathy

A Kindle for Kate

A laptop for Larry

An Xbox for Jake

When at last, he was finished he closed down the top,

Another year done by the chime of the clock,

And elves worked with fury now wrapping the show

With paper and tape and ribbons bows

Now wrapping each present so each would aspire

To fresh in the morning what each would desire,

The bright shiny wrapping that lay by their feet,

The gift that they longed for to make life complete

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,
All that had been heard was the sound of a mouse,

Now the clicking was hushed and extinguished the light

As Santa’s eyes closed to sleep for the night

Now elf, tell the reindeer they need not stand by,

Their flight not required to circle the sky,

The elf went outside and said with good cheer,

Stand down lads; he’s posting on EBay this year 

Don McBeth

Hassocks

I am breaking a rule by posting this straight away because it is very nearly the night before Christmas and this is so good - Derek McMillan