Christmas Card Redux

Background:

As I was handing out my 2008 Christmas card this season, I had several people comment that they still had my Christmas cards from past years. Many have asked me to reprint my very popular 2006 card, so with the last gasp of 2008, I will bow to the will of the people. I offer my apologies to Clement Moore, and his original A Visit from St. Nicholas. Clement Moore made millions from his “little trifle”; I’m still waiting for MY royalty checks to start rolling in.

 

Christmas Card 2006:

'Twas the Night Before Christmas
(or A Visit from St. Ewe-pea-ess)
by David Alan Hoag - December 18, 2006 

'Twas the night before Christmas, and I was upset;
though I’d ordered nice presents, none had arrived yet.
All of the web sites said, “delivery was free,”
in time to be wrapped, and placed under the tree. 

The children had reluctantly all gone to bed,
while a vision of ‘no gifts’ soon filled me with dread.
And my wife, in the bedroom, was starting to bawl,
“we’d have all the gifts, if I’d shopped at the mall.” 

When far down the street, there came a faint growling,
At first, all I heard was the stormy wind howling.
“Light flurries,” predicted by some weather wizard,
had turned into the season’s worst winter blizzard. 

The moon was obscured by the wind-driven snow,
and the streetlights emitted a pitiful glow,
when, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but a UPS truck, moving slow, in first gear. 

The driver was quite skilled, and this much I know,
He knew how to plow through the new-fallen snow.
How in that blizzard, he could find my address,
made me think that his truck had a new GPS. 

The camera, the X-Box, and with any luck,
the new Elmo X-treme would be on his truck!
So many gifts, for delivery this season,
That this truck had them all, was far beyond reason! 

Turning into my driveway, spewing snow in his wake,
I was praying the driver must know how to brake,
But I needn’t have worried, he slid to a halt,
and jumped down from his truck with a well-practiced vault. 

He was wiry and lean, quite a pleasant young chap,
dressed in UPS brown, from his slacks, to his cap.
He checked his list twice, and I knew when he waved,
that he had all my parcels, that Christmas was saved. 

He spoke as he worked, as he got my stuff out,
“All these THINGS are NOT… what this season’s about.
The greatest delivery is a small baby boy,
and if you accept him, you get peace… love… and joy.” 

Then he sprang to his truck, put the engine in gear,
And drove off in the storm, without any fear.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,
"May your ways be made straight, and your burdens be light!" 

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

All the best in the coming year! Your brother in Christ,

Dave