This poem was in our shopping guide in 1988. The author is, Anonymous.

Twas the night before Christmas
and all over town, no noses were
frozen, no snow fluttered down.
No children in flannels were
tucked into bed, they all wore
their shorty pjs instead..

To find wreaths of holly was
not very hard, for holly trees
grew in most every back yard.
In front of the houses were
daddies and moms, admiring
their shrubery and coconut palms.

The slumbering kids were
dreaming in glee,in hopes
they'd find water skis
under the tree.
They all knew Santa was on his
way, in a
Mercedes-Benz instead of a sleigh.

Soon he arrived and started to
work. He hadn't a second to
linger or shirk. He wizzed up the
highways,zoomed up the roads in
his shiny new sports car
delivering his loads.

The tropical moon gave the city
a glow and lighted the highway for
Santa below. As he jumped in his
auto, he gave a wee chuckle.He was
dressed in bermudas with an ivy
league buckle.

There weren't any chimneys, but
that caused no gloom, for Santa
had come through the Florida room.
He stopped only a minute, and
emptied his sack of all the
presents that were in it.

Before he left, he treated
himself to a glass of Papaya
juice left on the shelf.Then
he turned with a jerk, ran to
his car, remembering he still
had to go far.

He shifted gears, stepped on the
gas,and up 41,he flew like a flash.
I heard him call out as he went
on his way, "Merry Christmas
Charlotte County, I wish I could stay".   

" Anonymous "