'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

[elleng]

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!

[Coventina]

1. Happy Christmas Everyone!

[DFW]

2. Enjoy your holidays, because I think we're headed for something more like this:

‘Twas the night before Donald, when all through the land
The Donald was boasting, saying, “It’ll be grand!”
The Democrats hung on the scaffold with care
In the hopes that Saint Vladimir would not be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds
With climate denial claims forced in their heads.
And Mama all locked in her chastity belt
‘Cause she turned the Donald down, that’s how she felt.

Then out at the Capitol rose such a clatter
We peered through our cell bars to see what’s the matter
Away to the window we clunked with our chains
To see if some part of our freedom remains

A Congress who’ll soon vote our voting rights down
Was laughing and cackling like Bozo the clown.
Then what, to my wondering eyes should appear
But Elizabeth Warren, to say “we’re still here!”

She said, “We’re still short in the Senate, it’s true,
“But Republicans made up some nonsense they’ll rue!”
When Graham and Collins and Paul and McCain
All notice the rest of their Party’s insane

It’s time to call Baldwin and Harris and Hassan
To tell other Democrats, “seatbelts, please fasten!”
Go talk on the talk shows, have meets at the malls,
Magazine interviews, call-in show calls!

I will not sit by while my fondest hopes drown
I will not take Texas Rick Oops lying down!
I swear that I heard it, it’s not just a line
I swear I saw Democrats growing a spine!

And sure, they would need it for later this week
The smell out of Congress is starting to reek.
But some of our opposition’s still loyal
And some of their blood is starting to boil

When Tillerson puts us in some kind of State
And Sessions has civil rights burned in a crate
And learning to read is a priv’lege they say
Except for those kids who are willing to pay,

It looks like America’s mouth met its foot
Republicans, please help us out and stay put!
But then came McConnell, his mouth in a sneer,
And said, “shut up, you Libbruls, ‘cause I’m in charge here!”

“No more black Presidents!” gritting his teeth
His chin wattles trembling in anger beneath.
He had a long face and he looked like a turtle
Uncomfortable as if constrained by his girdle

But firm in expecting what damage he’d do
Majority leader, if only by two.
A squint of his eyes, a snort of his nose
Soon made it clear: too late! Anything goes!

Trump showed up with Turtle and Ryan and Pence,
Said, “OK, you people, I’ll end the suspense!
“You get fracking and Putin, no health care, no rights,
“And so says the Donald, so to all: sleepless nights!”

[pinboy3niner]

5. Well done, sir!

[DFW]

6. I wish I had a more positive outlook version for you....n/t

[PoliticAverse]

3. Happy Christmas!... but...

whatever happened to "sugar-plums"?

[elleng]

4. The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

[PoliticAverse]

7. All I know is when I was a kid no one ever said to me "here, have a sugar-plum"...

must have been just for the rich kids.

[elleng]

8. A sugar plum is a piece of drage or hard candy

made of hardened sugar in a small round or oval shape.[1]

"Plum" in the name of this confection does not mean plum in the sense of the fruit of the same name, but referred to small size and spherical or oval shape. According to The Atlantic Monthly, traditional sugar plums contained no fruit, but were instead hardened sugar balls.[2] According to the Huffington Post, these hardened sugar balls were comfits, and often surrounded a seed, nut, or spice.[3]

History
The term sugar plum came into general usage in the 1600s. At that time, adding layers of sweet which give sugar plums and comfits their hard shell was done through a slow and labour-intensive process called panning. Until the mechanization of the process, it often took several days, and thus the sugar plum was largely a luxury product.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_plum

[Wolf Frankula]

9. I'm a mouse, and I'm Stirring

?w=614

He makes good chocolate too.

Wolf