On the night before Christmas I sneaked through the house,
Slithered out through the cat flap in search of a mouse.
Tiptoed into the garden, I sat still and listened,
Ears cocked in the moonlight, my hunter’s eyes glistened.
I sat frozen still as though under a spell
And I thought of the stories that I had heard tell.
Then down came the snow and it started to freeze
On the white-covered grass and the moon shadowed trees.
The stars shone like diamonds, the garden was quiet,
No creatures were heard on this night still and silent.
Not an owl or a badger, a mouse or a bat,
It all seemed very strange to this mystified cat.
I started to listen and look all around
And I felt a strange magic, the night was spellbound.
Then suddenly, each of my six senses tingled
As I thought, in the sky, in the distance, bells jingled.
And then – what was this? A soft thud up above?
I didn’t look up, was unable to move,
But remembered my wishes in kittenhood made
So, I wasn’t alarmed and I wasn’t afraid.
There was huffing and puffing and rattles and scrapes,
Snow scattered down from the tiles and the slates.
Then “Fly boys and girls, no time for a feed,
We have more miles to go, let’s away with all speed!”
I looked to the skies and some distance away
Saw a faint silhouette of a man in a sleigh!
And although sounds were muffled by cloud and by snow
I am sure I heard loud cries of “Ho Ho Ho!”
Could it be? Where they true? The tales all young are told?
(Though we never believe by the time we are old).
Even though there could be, in my own mind, no doubt
I had to be sure and I had to find out!
I jumped from the fence to the wall, to the roof,
And there I saw marks in the snow, made by hoof!
And another mark made in the shape of a foot
In a boot, and the mark was a print made in soot!
Just then creatures were moving, the spell had been broken
And all my six senses were once more awoken.
But mousing was not in my thoughts any more
On this night of enchantment, and wonder, and awe.
The magic had tired me, I needed to sleep
And so, back indoors, through the cat flap did creep.
The family were all there with chat, jokes and banter,
And
I
Spied
A
Gift:
“To Squirt, love from Santa”
You can catch up with Squirt on Twitter: @SquirtTheCat
"Dogs come when called. Cats take a message and get back to you."
"Of course, every cat is really the most beautiful woman in the room."
Edward Verrall Luca (essayist)