‘Twas the Night Before Yule

‘Twas the night before Yule, and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The children were tucked into bed with great care,
They lay hoping that Woden soon would be there;

Cookies and milk were left out for Father Yule,
Because it is said that a gift for a gift is the rule.
The stockings we hung were there to receive
Whatever it was tonight Father Yule would leave.

All day they’d been playing outside with their sleds
So now the children were sleeping snug in their beds,
And as for us, mama and I were settled down deep,
Tight in our covers awaiting a long winter’s sleep.

The sun had gone down awful early that day,
Quickly she ran as she sped along her way
Solstice tomorrow meant that long were the nights
And moon and stars would be the only lights.

A cold wind was blowing, snow was on the ground
Nothing was stirring, it was all asleep safe and sound
Suddenly the sound of hooves pierced the night
So I jumped out of bed and lit a candle for light

The moonlight shone bright on the cold winter snow
And I looked out my window to the ground far below
And there I was shocked, what a sight did I see
But Woden himself looking up right at me

He stepped off in the snow holding tight to the bit
Of the horse he rode, if that’s what we should call it
Eight legs had this horse, an impossible sight
And it left no prints so it must have taken flight

Dumbfounded I stood, looking out my window
At the god below standing there in the snow
With a wide brimmed hat on his head he was capped
And a warm looking cloak around him was wrapped

He looked at me with his eye, a wry grin he did smile
Bowing he tipped his hat with a flourish and style
Then he winked, maybe blinked, it is hard to tell
When you have but one eye you might as well.

He pulled a pack off his steed and hefted it high
To rest it upon his shoulder with a heavy sigh
And he trudged through the snow towards the door
Stomping the snow off his boots on the porch floor

And without bothering with the knob or the lock
He stepped though the door without even a knock
He strode to the fire that had long to ash dwindled
And with whispered magic word the flame rekindled

He sat himself down ate what we left out
And left an empty cup if there should be any doubt
Then he placed a toy in each stocking with a grin
Before striding right out the door with a spin

I ran back to the window from where I had hidden
In time to see that strange horse being ridden
He lept up in a flash onto the horse with his pack
Rearing up it strode into the sky without looking back

But a voice I heard calling out as he flew out of sight
MERRY YULE TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!
I took to heart what Father Yule had said
And so I turned in and went back to my bed.

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