'Twas The Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house

Not a baby was stirring, not even a mouse.

The three stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that we might wake up from this nightmare;

Nightly, we cried softly while snug our bed,

While visions of Jackson danced daily in our heads;

All clean and in our jammies, after working out to the fine music known as rap.

Time to settle down for the evening after considering a night-cap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

We sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window we flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

To the moon on the breast of the new fallen snow

Gave the lustre of the mid-day to objects below,

When, what to our wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and nine tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

We knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

 And he whistled, and shouted, and called the by name;

"Now, HOPE! Now, HAPPINESS! Now, FAITH and BELIEF! 

On, FORWARD! On FUTURE! On LOVE and JOY!"

In front, well who could it be?

A new baby reindeer, JND!

"To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!

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

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 coursers they flew,

With a sleigh full of promise, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, we heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

The sounds of giggles and coos of our of boy,

Oh the bliss, Oh the joy!

Sweet music to our ears,

A moment that stops the endless tears.

As we drew in our heads, and were turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came abound.

He was dressed in all fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of positivity he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes--how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

 The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And we laughed when we saw him, in spite of ourselves;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave us to know, we had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings right up to the brim; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But we heard him exclaim, ere he and JND drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

And we shouted back, "Merry Christmas to you Jackson Neil DeLoach, the love of our life!"

Love,

                         Emily, Russ and Baby Jackson