Twas the morning of Christmas (with apologies to Clement Moore)

Twas the morning of Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even the mouse because we let him go at the Pepsi plant that afternoon.

The nativity sets sans wisemen were featured on the chimney with care,

In hopes that biblical authenticity soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plum and oreo danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my new blue drawers,

Had settled our brains for a long winter’s snores.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang in the bed and elbowed mamma's ribs, to see what was the matter.

Away to the hallway I flew like a surprisingly quick old guy with many days,

Grabbed my mag light and threw on my red penguin pjs.

I sprang to the stairs, to my kids I did shout,

And away they all ran down the stairs in haste no doubt.

More rapid than eagles with kennels they came,

And I whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Amy! now, Will! now, Licorice and Hershey!

On, Chip! On, Oreo! on, on James out in the RV!

To the safety of the closet! to the interior wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

The moon on the reflection in of the hard-falling rain

Gave the luster of mid-day to objects thru the door pane.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But another bolt of lightning, and some really loud thunder.

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the house-top the leaves, they flew,

With wind and rain, maybe some hail stones too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard without much strain

The banging and pounding of really heavy rain.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney more water fell with a bound.

My children all accounted for, and the house not ablaze,

Mamma and I settled down and thanked the Lord with praise.

But I heard the kids exclaim, ‘ere they dove out of sight,

"What a way to start a Christmas morn ending a good-night!"


My ultra poetic husband came up with that ~ he left out the part about the pictures falling off the walls in different rooms when our house shook from the lightning strike somewhere in the neighborhood.  However that was a stunning, creative Jackson rendition of our day!  I was laughing so hard my eyes were leaking ~ it wasn't this funny yesterday!  Donna