Mark Lovewell

 As always when it's Christmastime,
   St. Nick was in his sleigh
High in the clouds a'traveling
    By night and in the day
For he must travel miles and miles
    Around the world, indeed,
With candy canes and oranges
    With gifts for all in need.
This Christmastide when refugees
    Around the globe are found
'Twas after dark on Christmas Eve
    When over Vineyard Sound
His reindeer were a'soaring.
    And looking down below
To find a place for landing
    But since there was no snow
A'gleaming on the landscape
    This springlike wintertide
When global warming seems, indeed
    To have brought Whitsuntide
At Christmas not post-Easter
    As is its usual way
And so the reindeer in the sky
    A'tugging at their sleigh
Were having trouble seeing what
    Was on the ground beneath
Were they to land on moor or rocks,
    In water or on heath?

Alison L. Mead

But then they saw the Gay Head Light
    Was flashing on their way
From its new site atop the cliffs
    That are, of course, of clay
It now stands safe and blinks red-white
    For seafarers to see
When wild winds blow and when small boats
    Are where they shouldn't be.
Now Santa's deer were guided, too
    By Gay Head's flashing beam
And down they flew with swiftness
    Good St. Nick's Christmas team
With Gay Head's light to lead them
    They found a landing spot
That was perfect for a touchdown.
    For 'twas a grassy plot
Where they could nibble happily
    While Nick did his good deeds
Gave out his gifts of chocolates
    And iPads and gold beads.
They left him at the lighthouse
    To climb to the very top
And there it was St. Nicholas
    To Goldrup Dan — the cop —
Gave a fine pair of woolen gloves
    (If cold days ever come)
As well as, for the summertime
    A hat that blocks the sun
When he's directing traffic
    At the Grange and the Ag Hall
And then there was for Rosalie Powell
    An antique Paisley shawl
To turn into the rugs she hooks
    With patience and with art.

Timothy Johnson

And next there came for Everett Poole
    A tasty chocolate tart,
While Alley, John got mincemeat
    To fill the Christmas pie,
And Keenan, Joe, for baking bread
    Got a supply of rye.
Then Robert Ganz, as usual,
    Got ribbons for his veggies,
While for fine rowing on the Charles
    Were ribbons for Greene, Reggie.
And next for Dinny Dozier
    Who does so love to race
Came yet another perfect sail
    To keep her in first place
    At Edgartown's fine Yacht Club
Where she always moors her boat
    And next there was for M.J. Pease
A very friendly stoat
    To be a playmate for her dog,
At times when she is out.
    While Trina Kingsbury got a frog
Whose home is in a mucky bog
    And Goethals, Tom, got chocolate mice
    Quite tasty they are, too
He had some as a child, he says,
    If that is really true.
And next there came from Santa Claus
Who dug into his sack
    A Frigidaire 'twas grand and tall
And with all sorts of racks
    Louella Johnson got that gift,
'Twill surely make her happy.
    And then there were, for Taylor, Kate
Who always looks so snappy,
    The perfect boots for Island strolls.
They never will look sappy.

Timothy Johnson

     Then Gus Ben David
Got rare hawks,
    About them surely
He'll give talks.
    Paulischia Baker
Got an Audi,
    It was, surely
Nothing tawdry
    The Phil Weinsteins got a plane
So they can fly themselves
    To Spain.
And Lisa Hayes got a giraffe —
    A sure show stopper
For all the staff
    At the Animal Shelter
Where she works.
    There were swans, of course,
For the Water Works
    And more swans, too,
On Mill Pond waters.
    Some were sons
And some were daughters.
    But all were gifts
For Jenkinson, Joan
    And Colin Hurd
Got a new smart phone.
    Then Evan Cournoyer
Got a sled.
    And Linda Alley
For her queen-size bed
    A mattress to fit it
That's just what she needs
    And Lila Jasny
Got gold beads
    Strung onto a necklace-
They'll sparkle at night
    While her sister Sydney
Got her own horse
    That she can ride
On a racing course

Mark Lovewell

Then for Jan Norton there were Yak Trax
    To keep her steady
    When she starts to relax
And might fall down in her own backyard
    On a bird-feeding mission
And that would be hard.
    And then Jim Malkin
Got a Vineyard Vines tie
    To match his suit
He's such an elegant guy
    For the Larkin Stallings of the Ritz
Whose Blue Plate Specials
    Are now great hits
There was Texas-style chili
    To keep them here
They've brought Oak Bluffs
    Such wholesome cheer.
There were Monarch butterflies
    For Courtney Brady.
Since she is, of course.
    Such a thoughtful lady
For Jasmine Thompson and Schule, Lizzy
    Were oil paints and canvas
To keep them busy
    At their art work they like so to do,
Sometimes of a head
    Sometimes of a view.

Alison L. Mead

For Mateo deOliveira
    Legos were his gift
And for Anne Lesnikowski
    To give her a lift
Were scallops galore
    Though it's past their season
They've been kept in the freezer
    For that very reason.
And there was venison for Sylvia, Dave
    While there were best wishes
For that Reston, Maeve.
    And her baby, Lila
Who's quite the rave.
 Tim Boland got more Stewartia trees
For the Arboretum,
    And sharp Cheddar cheese
Was the gift for Tom Thatcher
    Who likes it so
    And then there was
For that Belain, Roe
    Just the gift that she's always wanted
A bright and shiny red Volvo.
    There was holly and ivy
For Potter, Edo
    For Leslie Baynes
A trip to Hokaido

Then Susan Block received a cow
    That gives skim milk
 No one knows how.
And Eddie Ben David got Cuban cigars
    While for Paul Cotton
There were spars
    For the boats he restores,
And some Mars Bars.
    While Shirley Mayhew
Got a box of candy,
    Just to her taste.
It was jim-dandy.

While Susan Catling
For her horse,
    Got a blanket warm
    That was cosy, of course
And Winkie Keith
    Got tickets to Fundy
 (The bay, that is)
But she wants to leave Sunday
    For a trip to Cambodia
Which she'd like to see
    In any case
She's to go on a spree.
    Then next there was for Betty Eddy
A new dustpan to hold the snow
    When she climbs to the roof
From down below
    To clean snow off on icy days
Though in her nineties
    She ought to laze.
Jim Hickey got tickets
    To a Patriots game
    And for Chris Read
There were some of the same,
    The Robert Days got a welcome mat
For their new home
    And that was that,

There was clay for her pots
    For Debbie Hale.
Young Prudie Whiting
    Got a shovel and pail
To dig in the sand
    When summer comes.
And she's old enough
    To play with chums.
Then Jamie Craig
    Got a ribbon blue
For all the help
    To me and you
    That he has given
    Now and again
To Edgartown women and to men.
    John Powers' pups
    Got tasty treats
The kind that all dogs
    Surely like to eat.
And then there was
    For Malcolm Jones
A sextant that will
    Shoot the sun
That ought to bring him
Lots of fun.

In Santa's sack
Were quahaugs, too
    For Jimmy Hoe,
Who loves them so.
    While for Hope O'Brien
Were the chimes she needs
For her Bell Choir
    That need supersedes
All others she has
    But now all's well
With Santa's gift
    The musical bells
Of the Island Bell Choir
    Will ring out strong.
At morn, at noon, at evensong.
    For Cathlin Baker
Was a tam o'shanter
    What plaid it is
Doesn't really matter.
Scott Campbell got a shooting star
    For the Inku Sims
There was a new car.
    A Sterling engine
Was George Hartman's gift
    That surely should
Give him a lift.
    Jack Ryan got some
Number Two pencils
    While for Betsy Gately
There were stencils.
    Then Gary Cook
Got fireproof socks
    While Marjorie Potts
Got some tasty lox,
    Ginny Dautreuil for the State Forest
Got hordes of helpers
    While Morrice the Florist
Got some black tulips
    That are quite rare
To welcome spring,
    While a Teddy Bear
Was in Santa's sack
    For Alan Porter,

Then there was a lovely poinsettia
    For Vera Shorter.
 While a cowboy hat
Was in Santa's sack
    For Kuhpay Vanderhoop
Who's just two
    But likes to dress up
As grown folks do.
    For Elsbeth Todd
Was a beetle cat
    To enhance her view
And that was that,
    Frank Gibson got
A new tow truck —
    Without one
He's just out of luck.
    Kerriann Johnson got perfume
And Julia Mitchell
    A new loom.
Then Wanda Emin
    Got some ivy and holly.
She always is so very jolly
    For Dr. Bob Franklin
Was a royal straight flush
    And Charlotte Goeckel
Got a toy that was plush.
    For Harriet Hoar
Was the Civil War series
   Of Ken Burns films
That will make her eyes teary
    For Spencer Booker a remote control
Was his gift from St. Nick
    Not a totem pole.

Then Tony Palmer
    Got a gold bowling ball
And Bobby Pachico got a sharp new blade
    To cut his beefsteaks
That are always first grade.
    Madison Maciel got power wheels pink
While his sister, Emily
    Got a bobolink.
For Julie Vanderhoop
 There was wood for baking
All the good things
    That she's always making.
Don Groover got a snugli for his Iggy
    While he plays his guitar
So it isn't wiggly
    Mark Snider got
A new project to start.
    It could be music.
It could be art.
    It could be a railroad
Or a shipping line
    Whatever it is,
It will come out fine.
    For Suzan Bellincampi
Were book sale receipts
    That gave her heart
Some extra beats.
    Then Adam Wilson got new poker chips.
For Alan Reekie
    There were some nice nips
Of good Scotch whiskey
    To sooth his palate,
While Laura Silber
    Got a mallet
To help her building
    Her furniture fine.

Then for John Hart
    Was a necktie bold
To please his customers
    Young and old.
Beth Kramer got a zip line
    Right to her mother
Who's across the water.
    For Peter Palches there were furniture nails
For Betsy Larsen
    Many fish market sales.
    Then Peg Regan got running shoes
To wear reminding their p's and q's
    To all the students
Under her care.
    At the Regional High School.
She has flair.
    Nelson De Bettencourt
Got a queen bee
    To put in his hive
For all to see.
    For Hathaway, Jack
An Indonesian trip.
    He'd better get ready
And pack his grip.
    For Hanson, Allen
Were pieces of eight
    Found in the Lagoon
And really first rate.
    And Percy Burt found a Welcome sign
    At his new home.
Which was quite fine.

    The deer by then had eaten their fill
The sun was up;
    The Sound was still
It was time to head back
    To their North Pole land
They and St. Nick hoped
    All would understand,
That crossing o'er mountains
    And crossing the seas
    Contending with winds,
    Not just with sea breeze
Was a very long journey
    For Santa to make
Every year as he does,
    Despite blizzards and quakes
Through hurricanes, smog
    And manmade climate change.
The hardships of their travel
    Cover quite a wide range.
    So they all said goodbye-
    Saint Nick and his deer
To their friends on the Vineyard
    As they do every year.
With a "Ho! Ho! Ho!"
    And a cry of "Good Cheer!"
But they made it a point,
    As they hove out of sight
To fly o'er the new bridge
    Which St. Nick found just right.