Thursday, December 18, 2014

Twas the Night Before Finals

It's been so quiet in silent study, I had time to rework a holiday favorite!


'Twas the night before finals, when all through the library
Not a creature was stirring, not even Ms. Gary;
With note cards and Panera all over the floor,
How they all hoped for a perfect score.

The students were not even touching their beds ,
While visions of essays filled their heads
Most were exhausted and could only pray,
For impossible dreams – all A’s from Delay!

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
Quimby sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window he flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to his wondering eyes should appear,
But a caroling Seufert, and students with cheer,

There was also a character, near hidden from sight,
He thought in a moment it must be Ms. White.
More rapid than eagles her exams would come,
And she whistled, and shouted, and called out to some;

"On Faulkner, On Conrad
On final Exams.
On Woolf and On Cather
And Last Minute Crams."

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the library, the students they flew,
With an arm full of books, and Mrs. Gold too.

“Some pizza might help” students thought with a shiver,
But each place they called, refused to deliver.
How Govs’ life could be so cruel,
With a future depending on grades in school.


And then, in a twinkling, Quimby heard on the roof
Mr. Brandt yelling, “Exams are over in a POOF!”
“Just please understand the speed of sound!”
When down the chimney, Searles came with a bound.

He was dressed as a corn husker, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of papers he had flung on his back,
And he looked like an annalist just opening his stack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled, his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And Quimby laughed when he saw him, in spite of his self;


A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave him to know, students had much to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
If only kids wrote as well as they twerk!
Mr. Nelson would grimace, Searles s’pposed
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;


His exams delivered
he vanished from sight.
But we heard him laughing
Outside in the night.

Ms. Howson has warned you
So just do your best.
"Happy Finals to All
And to all a Good Test!"

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