‘Twas Christmas Eve and Santa Claus

Was readying to fly

From out of his North Pole lodging

With his reindeer in the sky

Bearing Christmas gifts for one and all,

For the young and for the old.

He worried a bit about high winds

Where the polar vortex blows,

Ray Ewing

Ray Ewing

But made way without delay

Over cold and snowy lands.

Along their route this winter,

As they passed o’er Lambert’s Cove,

On Martha’s Vineyard Island

There was a special gift

That wasn’t big or heavy

Not hard at all to lift.

For Bobbie Scherlis, age 100,

‘Twas a kaleidoscope.

Then Santa told his reindeer

To continue on their way

To Vineyard Haven harbor

Where they’d put down the sleigh

And find good grass to chew on

At Owen Park on Christmas Day,

While Santa gave out gifts for all

Who waited down below.

For Alex Kryska, from out West,

Ray Ewing

Ray Ewing

Who was hired to make the boat service

The very, very best,

Were free tickets on the ferry

To help him make everyone merry

As they travel to and fro

With much gusto.

Next, Santa Claus flew over

Ernie Boch Jr.’s pretty park.

By then ‘twas time for Santa

At last, to disembark

With his big sack of presents

For the young and for the old.

He set to work immediately

For Ocean Park was cold.

For David Smith and for Joan Apt

Was kindling for their stove.

For Marvin Jones was a chef’s hat

And Suzanne Hammond got a cat.

Ray Ewing

Ray Ewing

For Isaac Silber were long johns

For icy Canadian days,

While for Jim Irwin and for Lynn

Santa had Hawaiian leis.

Then Percy Burt got some manure,

And Lisa Belcastro a fish lure.

Lucy Grinnan got a sewing machine,

And Jack Ryan a tambourine.

For Trip Barnes was a tape recorder

On which to tell all his tall stories.

Those who are in them need have no worries,

For the tales he tells are only the best;

And he tells them all with endless zest.

Then for Greg Carroll was a toy truck

To help his big one pick up muck.

Rory Goeckel got paints for his art.

Pesto Pam Glavin got a new salad spinner

For her basil pesto that is a winner.

Tim Johnson

Tim Johnson

For Eleanor Neubert was food for her chickens,

They eat it up like the very dickens.

Perry Patterson got a tennis ball machine.

For Charlotte Goeckel a hat that’s green.

So the 4-H cows she likes to tend

Will recognize her and will come by

For a pat or two just on the sly.

Then Jennie Gadowski got a fountain pen

For her to use, but not to lend,

to take notes when she’s at work

At the job she likes and never shirks.

For Ashley Medowski was sea glass for her art

With glass washed ashore to do its part.

For Gimili Glavin was her favorite tea,

Earl Grey, English Breakfast, whatever it be.

Whit Bryan got an X-Box game,

Now he will never be the same.

Then in Santa’s sack for Carol Borselle

Ray Ewing

Ray Ewing

Was a camera-equipped feeder for her birds,

While Linda Alley got a kitten that purrs.

Next, Anne Vanderhoop got cozy slippers,

And for Tom Hodgson were some clippers.

Then Connie Sanborn got an iPhone to hear,

And certainly to bring her cheer,

With music from her sons, who are Chico and Nick —

Whatever tunes might be her pick.

For the Rupert Hugheses was Mauby bark,

Something they would know even in the dark,

Straight from Jamaica it had come,

A better treat than a bottle of rum.

Next, for Joe Keenan were alpaca socks

To wear on roofs or when he bikes

Or plays his music, which he also likes.

For Alison Kennedy, post office gal,

Was a dirt bike to ride on,

In the sun or shade,

A bike that really is of first grade.

From the depths of his sack,

Santa next pulled into sight,

Though it really took considerable might.

For Dana Fokos a camera bag

Ray Ewing

Ray Ewing

That brought to Dana great delight.

Then came painted turtles for Johnson, Dick,

in any color, so he’d have his pick.

Then there were for Charles Young

Sacks and sacks of bird seed

For Chilmark birds that might be in need.

And then there was for Liza Duke

Land on which to place a souk

Till the family barn has its own floor

And, of course, a good deal more.

For Josephine Wing, who is age six,

Was a jewelry box where she can mix

Rings and bracelets and necklaces, too,

As she grows up and needs a few.

Beverly Wright, of Aquinnah town,

Got glasses to hide offshore wind farms

That Trump doesn’t like and neither does she.

For Eliot Brust was a mini stuffed elephant

To keep on his bed till he goes to sleep,

While brother, Wes, got toy cars red and blue.

Mary Woodcock gt a jigsaw puzzle

And Jolly Nutmeg got a bone to nuzzle.

Steve Hibbs got an ocean cruise ticket,

Tim Johnson

Tim Johnson

And for the Allen Whitings, there were again crickets

Singing in spring at Parsonage Pond

And even, sometimes, a bit beyond.

Elliott Berz got a new speaker

For the music he writes

That everyone likes.

For Arnie Fischer were croissants from France

That certainly will make him want to prance.

And then Harry Athearn, for his Ag Hall work,

that he never did shirk,

Got a bench all his own at Alley’s store

How could he ask for anything more?

Wren Robertson got a young pine bough

For the goats she has at Arrowhead Farm

Away from all troubles, no need for alarm.

Then Noni Marchien got silver shears,

For cutting hair she has no peers.

Craig Barton got a welcome mat

To Chilmark, that was that.

Then Liz Taft got canvas for her art,

As did Marie Louise Cohen, who, on her part,

Paints pictures of landscapes, among other things

And while she paints, outside, the birds sing.

For Michael Lipinsky was a warm winter shirt

For Albert Fisher (who’s known as Bert)

Was a case for his camera that’s always at hand

To take his pictures that are so grand.

For Mason Bassett was permethrin spray

To keep the deer ticks far away.

For Rebecca Sanders, for her horse,

Was a bright, warm blanket for cold days

An eye-stopping blanket that will bring much praise.

There were books on tape for Nancy Aronie,

And then there was a very warm hoodie

For Lucille Stahl and another for Hazel.

For Peggy Stone was a new e-bike,

Then Bella Gibo got a Barbie doll

All dressed up with a pretty shawl.

Next, Charlotte Hall got a rare goat cheese,

A gift that, surely, was meant to please.

For Tom Dresser there was a quill pen

For writing more stories of Vineyard mayhem.

And for Mathew Tombers, of Edgartown Books,

There was a version of the Domesday Book.

For Brenda Campbell was a feather

That will stay in place in any weather.

And for Ernie Thomas was a tinkering kit

For use at all jobs where he makes things work.

For Kevin Devine was a welcome mat

And Aquinnah greetings from one and all,

They’re glad to have him right on call.

Then for Lynn Christoffers

There were cats, and cats, and still more cats

For the calendars that she puts out.

Jeff Madison, for select board meetings,

Got a new notebook he will surely need

When Aquinnah meetings are up to speed.

For Laura Gliga was new music to play,

While for Anne Ganz, who’s often away,

Were airplane tickets to get to D.C.

Where for cartoonist meetings she likes to be.

By then, the reindeer had their fill

Of Ocean Park grass and were ready to go

Back to their land of ice and of snow.

So Santa climbed back into his sleigh

And called to his reindeer “Away, away.”

And off in the night they flew high in the sky

With a wave of farewell and a cheery goodbye.