And all through the house, every creature was stirring, especially the mouse.  (Computer, that is).

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that something would soon appear there.
The children are restless, about to unwind,
While visions of vacation days dance in their mind.

And pa in his sweats, and I in my robe,
Shopped online for gifts around the globe.
When out on the lawn, there arose such a clatter,
That I rose from my desk to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the blinds and threw up the sash.

The sun on the rain of the newly swept street,
Made it look new and uncannily neat.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But the trash truck drawing ever so near.

With a shout out to pa and a rushing around,
We hauled out those cans without losing much ground.
More rapid than eagles the holidays they came
And now we knew that this was no game.

Now gift cards, now wrapping, now cooking and baking,
Don’t panic, don’t sweat it, it’s all in the making.
To Amazon-dot-com, to the end of the mall.
Dash away, dash away, dash away all.

As wild animals that before the storm all bolt,
When they see the funnel cloud drop with a jolt,
We dispersed in all directions, each on his own,
Hoping without hope to just get it all done.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard quite nearby,
The sound of the phone making its cry,
Reminding me over and over and over again,
To clean up the kitchen, to put the clothes on spin.

(To be continued . . .)