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?
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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