Twas the night before Christmas

when all thru the house

Not a creature was stirring

not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care

In hopes that St. Nick soon would be there.

The children all nestled snug in their beds

With no thought of the dog filling their head.

And mom in her kerchief and I in my cap

Knew the dog was cold, but didn’t care about that.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter

Figuring the dog was free of his chain and into the trash.

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow

gave the luster of mid-day to objects below.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear

But Santa Claus with his eyes full of tears.

He unchained the dog once so lively and quick

Last year’s Christmas present now painfully sick.

More rapid than eagles he called the dog’s name

and the dog ran to him despite all his pain.

Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen

To the top of the porch to the top of the wall

Let’s find this dog a home where he will be loved by all.

I knew in an instant there would be no gifts this year

For Santa had made one thing quite clear.

The gift of a dog is not just for the season

We had gotten the dog for all the wrong reasons.

In our haste to think of the kids a gift

There was one important thing we missed

A dog should be family, and cared for the same

You don’t give a gift, then put it on a chain.

And I heard him explain as he rode out of site,

“You weren’t given a gift, you were given a life."

CREDITS

Author: Anonymous

Image: © by Eilis Petroni