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This was
written for the clean up crew that worked every Christmas Eve cleaning
the plant after Dec. 24 production. Usually third shift spend a good
portion of the 24th imbibing in spirits that remained with them when
they came to work that night. Bus, the subject at the end of the poem is
a heavy set Virginian with a drawl............. paste is Tomato
paste........ caustic is a cleaner.
T' WAS THE
NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND ALL THROUGH THE PLANT,
EVERYBODY
WENT HOME, EXCEPT THIRD SHIFT, "THEY CAN'T",
THEY’RE
CLEANING AND SCRUBBING, MAKING EVERYTHING BRIGHT,
WHILE
OUTSIDE IT IS SNOWING, MAKING EVERYTHING WHITE,
MANY HOSES
ARE HUNG, ON THE HOSE RACKS WITH CARE,
IN HOPES
THAT ST. NICHOLAS SOON WOULD BE THERE,
I'M
NESTLED ALL SNUG, IN MY CHAIR, SO IT'S SAID,
WHILE THE
WORDS OF A PUZZLE, DANCE IN MY HEAD,
KEN'S DOWN
IN THE SHOP, TELLING TALES OF YEARS PAST,
MECHANICS
ARE WONDERING, JUST HOW LONG THIS'LL LAST,
HAROLD'S
TENDING HIS FLOCK, OUT ON THE FILLING FLOOR,
HE'S HAD A
FEW NIGHTCAPS, DOESN'T NEED ANYMORE,
WHEN ALL
OF A SUDDEN, THERE CAME SUCH A CLATTER,
BARRELS
AMD BUCKETS AND DRUMS, WHAT'S THE MATTER,
MY PENCIL
AND CROSSWORD, BOTH DROPPED TO MY LAP,
MY MOUTH
FLEW WIDE OPEN, I FELT LIKE A SAP,
I SPRUNG
FROM MY CHAIR AND THREW OPEN THE DOOR,
MY SHOES
STEPPED IN CAUSTIC, I FELL TO THE FLOOR,
I RAN UP
TO HAROLD, SAID, "HEY WHAT'S THE NOISE?"
HE SAID,
"I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT MUST BE THE BOYS"
WE RAN IF
YOU PLEASE, TO THE TOP OF THE STAIRS,
LOOKED
HITHER AND YON, WE LOOKED EVERYWHERE,
WE ASKED
MR. MACK IF HE'D HEARD ALL THE CLATTER,
HE SAID
THAT HE HAD, WONDERED WHAT WAS THE MATTER,
I THOUGHT,
AND I THOUGHT... THEN I SAID, WITH A PAUSE,
DO YOU
THINK...COULD IT BE, IS IT...SANTA CLAUS,
THEN THE
INSTANT I SAID IT, I SPIED WITH MY EYES,
THE CAUSE
OF THE NOISE, WHAT A PLEASANT SURPRISE,
MIDST
JUMBLED BUCKETS AND DRUMS, ALL SHINY AND BRIGHT'
WAS A
JOLLY FAT FIGURE, ALL RED AND ALL WHITE,
HE LOOKED
SO HELPLESS, LAYING THERE ON THE FLOOR,
DID MY
EARS DECEIVE ME, I THINK THAT HE SWORE,
OUR VISION
SOON CLEARED AND WITH VERY LITTLE HASTE,
THE FIGURE
STOOD UP, IT'S BUS, COVERED WITH PASTE,
HE'D
FALLEN IN GARBAGE AND HE WAS QUITE SMELLY,
HE
GRUMBLED AND SWORE AND HE SHOOK JUST LIKE JELLY.
HIS FACE
WAS ALL RED, LIKE HE'D STEPPED IN FROM THE NIGHT,
HIS MOUTH
WAS ALL DRAWN AND HE WANTED TO FIGHT,
I HEARD
HIM EXCLAIM AS HE TURNED DOWN THE HALL,
DON'T LAFF
YOU'NS GUYS, T'WERN'T FUNNY A' TALL.
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