'Twas the Night Before Christmas...Widda-Style

‘Twas the night before Christmas

          And all through the house

Not a creature was stirring…

          Except for a mouse.

The stockings were hung

         By the chimney with care

But with the mouse in the house

          The widow wanted her husband there.

She'd curled up with her kerchief

      After a few nightcaps

And was trying to settle her brain

         She’d give anything for a nap.

When in her room

        There arose such a clatter

“One more problem!” She thought.

       “I swear my brain’s going to shatter!”

Away to the window

       She flew like a flash

“One more problem,” she thought sadly.

       “But I don’t have enough cash!”

The moon on the breast

        Of the new fallen snow

Reminded her to get up early

        So she could give it a blow.

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve

       So that the tears would clear

Figured the noise was the mouse

        And she knew it was near.

As it scurried she knew

       It was lively and quick

And with a scream she ran

      To her bed in a jiff.

“More problems!”  She cried

       And felt quickly the strain

Of the bill she’d receive

         When the exterminator came.

“Away Fear!  Away Sorrow!

        Go Crises and Grief!

Out Sadness!  Out Depression!

        It’s Happiness I seek!

To the top of the world…

         I want to do it all!

Widowhood’s been a storm

        And I’m tired of this squall!”

She gathered her courage

       Gave her floor a try

Went to the window

       And looked up at the sky.

She gazed up above

       And somehow she knew

For the first time she believed it

       She knew it was true

Her eyes started twinkling

      She began to regroup

There were no guarantees

       Nothing’s foolproof.

She drew in her head

       And turned swiftly around

She knew it was time

       To try and rebound.

She dressed in her robe

      Slid slippers on her feet

Smiled for the first time that year

       You could see all of her teeth!

A weight had been lifted

       It felt, from her back

For the first time that year

        She was on the right track.

Her eyes, how they twinkled!

       Her giggle sounded merry!

For the first time that year,

       Life didn’t seem as scary.

Life was a gift

      Tied up with a bow

Her husband would want her happy

       This she should know.

Her hope, she held tight

       Finally she could breathe

That silly old mouse

       Didn’t know he’d released…

Someone new, someone sure

     Not a Nervous Nelly

The burning was gone

     From the pit of her belly.

She saw the mouse in the corner

     Hiding behind a shelf

And she started to laugh

     She couldn’t help herself.

She winked at him

     For he had nothing to dread

This little mouse

     Had actually cleared her head.

She spoke not a word

     So he wouldn’t go berserk

Walked to the front door

     And gave it a jerk.

The mouse turned around

     And twitched his nose

“Go on,” said the widow

      “Out you go.”

He rushed out the door

      Into snow like crystal

“I did it!”  She said

       Her expression quite wistful.

“I can do this,” she thought

      As the mouse scurried out of sight.

“Christmas will be hard…

But I can see the light.”