And he whistled and shouted, and called them by name:
Now Leaper, now Roller, now Jumper and Swimmer,
On Diver, on Flipper, on Glider and Glimmer.
To the top of the deck! To the top of the wall!
Now swish away, swish away, swish away all!
As dry palm-fronds that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop his mammals they glided,
With a sleigh full of fishing gear and Santa – delighted!
And then in a twinkling we heard on the tin
The flailing and flipping of each little fin.
As we drew in our heads and were turning around
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed for foul weather from head to toenails
And his clothes were all soaked with sea salt and scales.
A bundle of tackle he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a sailor just opening his pack.
His eyes were like starfish, his cheeks like vermillion,
His nose was quite likened to a pepper – Brazilian.
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a Smurf
And the beard on his chin was as white as the surf.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed like a fish made of jelly.
He was leathered and salty, a right rolly old captain
And we laughed when we saw him to think what had happened.
He pivoted on Topsiders and nodded his head
Which gave us to know we had nothing to dread.
He said not a word but went straight to his work
And filled all the stockings and turned with a jerk.
And laying a finger aside of his nose
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his ship, gave a sound from his throat
And away they all flew like a single sea oat.
But we heard him exclaim through goodwill and giving,
“Merry Christmas to all, and Happy Island Living!”
– By Sharon Merrill
November/December 2019 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE 73