T'was the Night Before Christmas

Well, I tried to be cleaver...but it simply wasn't coming.  Nonetheless, here it is:

T'was the night before Christmas, when all through the home

A creature was stirring, Sage was beginning to roam.

Her stocking was hung by her bed with care,

In hopes St. Nicholas soon would be there.

Sage was looking for Murphy in her bed

Trying to remember all the advice she said

About Christmas toys and treats

Wondering what Murphy meant about "better be sweet."

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

Sage began barking trying to get me to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I slowly stumbled

Becoming cranky when I tumbled.

I couldn't see the moon behind Seattle's gray

And I mumbled something about never seeing a sun ray.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear

But a miniature sleigh and eight dogs all trying to steer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

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

More rapid than greyhounds his dogs they came,

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

"Now Lulu!  now Cooper!  now Maisey and Dexter!

On Pele!  On Molly!  on, on Gabby and Kol! (sorry, no rhyme for Dexter)

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 Northwest winds fly,

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

So up to the house top the dogs they flew,

With the sleigh full of dog toys and St. Nicolas, too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard lots of barking

And the dog led sleigh landed right on its marking.

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

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

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

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and stoot.

A bundle of bones and chews he had flung on his back.

And he looked like a door-to-door Sierra Club canvasser, 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 

But no smoke since in Seattle it's not right.

He had a broad face and a little round belly

Which his medical insurer told him to lose or his policy was jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

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

"Take care, Sage" he said.

He then went straight to work

And filled Sage's stocking, 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 he gave a command.

And away they all flew like they were playing in the sand.

But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight

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

Murphy's day.