The night before an AEF'ers Christmas

[Mitch Cronin]

T'was the night before Christmas and all through the forum

Hardly a creature was stirring, barely a quorum

The threads were all hung on the screen with care

In hopes that some wisdom soon would be there

The patrons were nestled all snug in their homes

While visions of airplanes wrestled their bones

Mr's P. in her boardroom, and I in my shack

Had only just started to take up the slack

When out in the network there arose such a clatter

I minimized the tv to see what was the matter

I popped through Eudora and threw spam in the trash

Opened explorer and gave the keyboard a bash

The moon on the screen of the monitor so old

gave a luster of nothing except for the bold

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

a miniature post, with a message of cheer,

a little known poster, so lively and quick,

I knew all along he was no dick.

More rapid than eagles his forum mates they'd come,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by nom de plume;

"Now, DAGGER! now, DEFCON! now, MANWEST and Don Hudson!

On, J.O.! on neo! on, Seeker and Dragon!

To the top of the page! to the top of the wall!

Now write away! write away! write away all!"

As dry heaves that after a wild night hurt,

When they meet with a liquid, begin to spurt

So up on the monitor his words they flew,

With good cheer for all, and JakeYYZ too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard from my speaker

The beckoning bong of a "PM" tweaker.

As I reached for my mouse, and was clicking the page,

Up on the screen jumped a lively old sage.

He typed in all red, from subject to signature,

And his Caps were all wrapped with a bright green ligature;

A bundle of wise words he'd flung in his post,

He seemed like a poet just eating his toast.

His I's -- how they twinkled! his comma's, how merry!

His P's were like roses, his O's like a cherry!

His droll little c was drawn up like a bow,

And the space between his lines was as white as the snow;

The root of a point he grinned through his teeth,

And the warmth it encircled his post like a wreath;

He used a wide range smiley's and grin's,

That helped clearly mark his opinions and spins.

He was bubbly and cheerful, a right jolly old dog,

And I laughed when I thought of him, in spite of my grog;

A dot on his i or a cross on his t,

Something made me know I had more to see;

He beat not a bush, but went straight to the work,

Of answering the unanswered, with wisdom or smirk,

Then laying some kindness at the end of his prose,

And signing his name, up in my heart his memory rose;

... He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he blew out of sight,

"MERRY CHRISTMAS AEF'ers, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!"

[GDR]

I think those night shifts are getting to you Mitch.

Have a very Merry Christmas.

Greg

[Mitch Cronin]

That bad eh?

Oh well.... Thanks Greg... I hope you have a Merry Christmas too.

[wizard]

Nice work Mitch I remember the one you did last year. Remember Mitch don't be getting your dog drunk and I hope you have a great xmas and happy new year.

Wizard

[J.O.]

Mitch:

If you keep this up, some book outfit's gonna offer you an advance and a contract! But you can't write the poetry book until you've finished Chuck's flight in the Beast!

Thanks for the laughs (all year long), and have a Merry Christmas!

Jeff

P.S. - According to reliable sources, Mrs. P refers to it as "The Passion Pit"!

[newgirl]

Merry Christmas to all.

Good poem Mitch , have a Lemon Hart on me!