CHRISTMAS EVE SURPRISE©

(An updated American version of the old classic)

IT WAS CHRISTMAS EVE AND I LAID AWAKE,

THE HOUSE SMELLED OF COOKIES MOMMA HAD BAKED.

AS I LAY IN MY BED WITH EYES OPEN WIDE,

I HEARD A STRANGE SOUND, IT CAME FROM OUTSIDE.

I JUMPED OUT OF MY BED TO LOOK INTO THE NIGHT,

I COULD SEE REALLY GOOD 'CAUSE THE MOON WAS SO BRIGHT.

IT WAS STILL SNOWING, ALL WAS QUIET AND CLEAN,

AND DEEP SHADOWS OF TREES WERE ETCHED ON THE SCENE.

THE SOUND THAT I HEARD WAS THE JINGLE OF BELLS,

THAT SEEMED TO GET CLOSER AS LARGE SNOWFLAKES FELL.

THE SOUND OF THOSE BELLS SEEMED TO FILL THE NIGHT AIR,

AS LOUD AS THEY WERE, NO ONE ELSE SEEMED TO HEAR.

THEN I LOOK AT THE MOON AND GUESS WHAT I SAW,

A SLEIGH AND THE DRIVER WAS ROUND AS A BALL.

AND REINDEER PULLING IT, THERE WERE NINE IN ALL,

 AS I WATCHED I HEARD HIM MAKING THIS CALL.

"COME ON DANCER AND CUPID, DONNER AND BLITZER

YOU'RE DOING GREAT COMET AND SO ARE YOU VIXEN,

LET'S KEEP IT UP PRANCER AND DASHER MAKE HAY,

HEY RUDOLPH KEEP GLOWING, YOU'RE GUIDING THE WAY."

AS I WATCHED THEY FLEW CLOSER AND RIGHT TO MY ROOF,

AND I HEARD THEM LAND ON IT WITH EACH LITTLE HOOF.

THEN I RAN FROM MY ROOM EXCITED AND SCARED,

AND HID IN THE HALLWAY UNDER THE STAIRS.

I HAD A GOOD VIEW OF OUR CHRISTMAS TREE,

I COULD WATCH HIM, BUT HE COULDN'T SEE ME.

HE CAME DOWN THE CHIMNEY AND I HAVE TO SAY,

HE LANDED IN A MOST COMICAL WAY.

HE BRUSHED HIMSELF OFF AND TOOK A MOMENT TO PAUSE,

THAT'S WHEN I COULD SEE THIS WAS SANTA CLAUS.

AS I SAID BEFORE HE WAS AS ROUND AS A BALL,

WITH RED CHEEKS, WHITE BEARD AND WAS RATHER TALL.

ON HIS BACK WAS A BAG JUST STUFFED WITH TOYS,

I SAW SOME FOR GIRLS AND OTHERS FOR BOYS.

HOW HE MANAGED IT ALL WAS A TRICK IN ITSELF,

AS HE FILLED ALL OUR STOCKINGS HE LAUGHED TO HIMSELF.

WHEN HE LAUGHED HE TWINKLED, AND I'LL NEVER FORGET

HOW HE LOVED THE TREAT I HAD DECIDED TO SET.

WHEN HIS WORK WAS DONE HE LEFT THE SAME WAY,

AND CLIMBED BACK INTO HIS BRIGHT COLORED SLEIGH.

THEN OFF HE FLEW INTO THE MOONLIT NIGHT,

AND I WATCHED UNTIL HE WAS OUT OF SIGHT.

JUST THINKING WHAT A LUCKY KID I WAS

THAT I WAS AWAKE TO SEE SANTA CLAUS.

I'M A GROWN MAN NOW BUT EVERY CHRISTMAS DAY,

I REMEMBER SANTA AND HIS MAGICAL SLEIGH....

AND THE TIME I WATCHED HIM AND HE WASN'T AWARE

OF A LITTLE BOY HIDING BEHIND THE HALL STAIRS.

                                                                                  By…Joan F. Springer