Twas the Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas at Muscatine Mall. There to see Santa, Sis was in a thrall. At only age six, she still believed that our Christmas gifts came from a guy old and fat: A man in a red hat with beard long and white who gave many kids their gifts in one night by driving a sleigh way up in the sky and sliding down chimneys. How spry IS that guy? Mom kept the lie going, but was that wrong? My sister was glad, so I just went along. How lame the logic of children so young. To not spoil her fun, I just held my tongue. The mall’s Santa would in a while be gone, but Sis still wanted his lap to sit on. At last twas her turn. So eager was she she chatted away as she sat on his knee. She asked her dear Santa for a cell phone. Bet he was dying to be left alone! With a Ho Ho Ho, he bid us farewell. I took sister’s hand, and we left pell-mell. Last-minute shoppers we both hurried through, I looked at them thinking: What’s wrong with you? You’ll be up all night with things you bought late. A whole lot of wrapping you’ve got on your plate! Baby sister felt glad. Once in the car, I looked at the sky and saw a bright star, reminding me of when there had appeared a new star when a special birth had neared. While driving along, I looked up again, thinking of Jesus and young shepherd men who’d looked to the sky and heard angels sing their praises to One who who was born the new King. Sis started singing the song “Silent Night.” I sang along. Then what came into sight? My sister and I will swear to this day twelve reindeer above flew guiding a sleigh.