'Twas the Night
Before School Starts
'Twas the night before school starts, when all through the houses,
Teachers were crying and whining to spouses.
The backpacks were hung by all front doors with care,
In hopes that their kids would soon be out of there;
The children were tossing and turning in beds,
While visions of homework rapped in their heads;
And hubby in boxers, and I in his lap,
Had just settled down for a frosty nightcap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
We sprang from the couch to see what was the matter.
Away to the window we flew like a flash,
Those damn neighbor dogs! Get out of our trash!
The moon on the breast of the overturned can,
Made us feel pangs of sorrow for our friendly trash man.
When, what to our wondering eyes should appear,
But a shiny school bus loaded with gear,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
We got Mr. Johnson! He’s such a dick!
More rapid than eagles his warnings they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and started to blame!
"No standing! No eating! No laughing out loud!
No music! No cell phones! Of these rules I am proud!
To the top of the hill! To the first of the line!
Now dash away! Dash away! And don‘t you dare whine!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
The bus did a wheelie and landed cockeye!
So up to the house-top the occupants flew,
With handfuls of lunchboxes , and Ms. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,
Laughter and dancing and even a “woof“!
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney Ms. Nicholas came with a bound.
She was dressed all in pink, from her head to her foot,
And her clothes were all brand new! She had spent all her loot!
A tote bag of supplies she had flung on her back,
And she looked like a peddler just opening her pack.
Her eyes -- how they twinkled! Her dimples how merry!
Her cheeks were like roses, her nose like a fairy!
Her smile was as brilliant as thousands of pearls,
And the hair on her head was in hundreds of curls!
The perfume she wore was fragrant and sweet,
We all knew that we were in for a treat!
She had a nice face and her curls were light yellow,
And they shook, when she laughed, like a bowlful of Jell-0.
She was bubbly and happy, a right jolly young miss,
And we laughed when we saw her, then she blew us a kiss!
A wink of her eye and a twist of her head,
Soon gave us to know we had nothing to dread;
She spoke not a word, but went straight to her work,
And checked our kids backpacks; then turned with a jerk,
And laying her finger aside of her ear,
She mimicked holding a phone and said, “Call me this year!”
She sprang to the door, to our kids gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard her exclaim, ere they ran out of sight,
"Happy School Year to all. Mom & Dad, its alright!"
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