A Poem for December 23

The Night Before the Night Before Christmas

by Alan McComas (with thanks to Clement C. Moore)

'Twas the night before the night before Christmas
And the house was awake,
And the mouse in the house
Was nibbling cake.
While the mouse in the house of the mouse in the house
Was wondering which sweet sugar plum to take.

Now the mouse in the house of the mouse in the house
Was not very tall - she was really quite small.
Though the hole in the wall of the house mouse's house
Was as small as the head of a small silver pin,
Even so, the house mouse's tiny house mouse could fit in!

All the house mouse's children were playing a game
And the rules always changed - they were never the same.
So the game never ended, and never began - 
But when it was over, it started again!

It appears as they played, 
That they ate marmalade,
....And they couldn't sit,
COULDN'T SIT...,
COULDN't SIT STILL!
...So they jumped up to sing on the cold window sill.

"Will this night never pass?" sang the mice in their sorrow.
"Will the hands of the clock never spin to tomorrow?
We are certain tomorrow will be Christmas Eve!
But tonight is the night before that - so we grieve."

So they sang.
But the house mouse's house mouse's children were small,
Much smaller than mice - by a factor of twice!
And though they all sang just as loud as they should,
I'm afraid no one heard them, for nobody could.

So they put all their sweet sugar plums in a line
And they offered them up to Old Father Time.
And humbly they asked the Old Clock, don't you know,
To make Christmas come faster,
For it came much too slow.

Father Time gave a wink, and his hour hand blinked.
His escapements all whirred as he wound up his springs.
His pendulum gurgled, his case sprouted wings!
His bells, how they chortled! His chimes how they tinkled!
He rolled up his sleeves and he made the time wrinkle!

And all in an instant of new fallen snow -
Of hours and minutes and moonlight all aglow,
Of seconds and angels and sparkly star light
The mice children found 
That it WAS the next night!

It was Christmas Eve! The Old Clock brought them there!
...They were slightly confused and had quarks in their hair.

Then Grandfather Clock spread his wings,
And left them quite nimbly - 
With a Whoosh! And a Swoosh!  He flew right up the chimney!

But then out of the chimney appeared in a tick - 
A little old man by the name of St. Nick!
"That was fast!" Santa chuckled.  "Oh my, what a trick!"
Here it is, Christmas Eve!  ...How'd it get here so quick?"

Wishing Everyone a Peaceful, Loving Christmas, a Relaxing Holiday, and a MOST Happy New Year — Rusty and Alan

Father Time Image by Nanne Tiggelman from Pixabay; others free by Creative Commons