Merry Christmas from Japan!

Merry Christmas from Japan!

After a long break from blog writing I’m back! It’s my goal to post an entry a day through New Year’s Eve. Please unleash the Badgers of Cajoling if this fails to happen.

Tonight I have a poem I wrote on the Kyoto subway yesterday, whilst traveling to a friend’s house for a Christmas Eve potluck. It’s meant to be a spoof of the “Twas the night before Christmas” poem by Clement Clarke Moore (1799 - 1863), except in this particular poem, Alistair is waiting to see Santa Claus.

‘Twas the night before Christmas

And not a night later

Not a creature was stirring

Except a chubby alligator

Andrew was there

All snug on his futon

Oblivious to Alistair

And getting his snooze on

In a tie made from a kerchief

Whilst Andrew did nap

The ‘gator paced the room

Doing lap after lap

To see Father Christmas

This was his goal

Perhaps to get presents

And hopefully not coal

And then on the balcony

There arose such a clatter

Thought he, “To hide? To look?”

(Alistair chose the latter)

And there on the ledge

Santa stood and did swear

Tangled up in the clothes-line,

Andrew’s socks, and underwear

His frame was quite portly

His voice a great boom

But he became quite jolly

Freed from the fruit of the loom

“Now what have we here?”

Said St. Nick with a smile,

“The spawn of Gozilla

Or an Asian crocodile?”

And Alistair explained

His species and station-

He had come to teach English

In this small island nation

And dear Santa found

The alligator not at all unpleasant

And said “Here you are young reptile,

I’ll give you a present.”

“Your tie is quite nice,

But on this eve you spend restive

Perhaps I should give you

Something slightly more festive.”

And then from his sack

He pulled a ribbon and a bell

Tied them ‘round Alistair’s neck

And said “Gee, you look swell!”

“But now I’m off

I mustn’t tarry

These deer are from Nara

Kids’ loot they’ve helped carry.”

“They’ll be back before morning

So nobody knows.”

Saint Nick leapt into his sleigh

And at his shouts it rose –

“Now Udon! Now Soba!  

            Now Sake and Yuzu!

On Bento, on Daikon,

on Ramen, on Ponzu!”

And the last sound he made

As Santa vanished from sight

Was “Merry Christmas to all,

And to all a good night!”