Ernie the Elf was a grumpy old soul, all the stockings he hung always filled up with coal
As he worked building toys with the elves in his guild, and he hammered and screwed and he glued and he drilled
He lamented the fact that he had to build toys, for the ungrateful, bothersome world’s girls and boys

In the workshop a huge pile of letters were stacked, to know which toys to make so that they could be sacked
Ernie opened and read some, and then he complained, “Give me this, give me that. They want bikes, they want trains!”

Ernie said, “Kids are greedy; they want more and more!” while he rumbled and grumbled and paced ‘round the floor
Then he said, “They don’t care. All this work has no point. I would quit if I could, and walk out of this joint!”

He would hide in the bathroom and sleep on his shift, and when he finally worked his mind always would drift
He would say to himself, “Santa Claus is a jerk! So I’ll quit making toys and I won’t go to work!”

Ernie went home and turned off his alarm, he would sleep with his lucky, white rabbit’s foot charm
Ernie tossed and he turned; he could not get to sleep, he kept turning his pillow and counting small sheep
But then finally he drifted away to his dreams, unaware that St. Nick’s not as dumb as he seems

Santa was back peering into a screen, which revealed Ernie’s dream in a full color scheme
The jolly old fellow you see has a way, to manipulate dreams in your bed where you lay
He uses computers and satellite dishes, to find out kids dreams and their wants and their wishes
Santa had watched and he’d worried and wondered, and heard his elf Ernie’s complaints as they thundered
He said to himself, “I must help him somehow. Christmas comes in a day so I’ve got to act now!”

Santa moved quickly despite, of his size, to tell his elf Sally the plan he’d devised
“Ernie hates children that he never knew. I must visit his dream and I’ll show him a few.”
Upon Santa’s head Sally placed a gold cap, with a wire and a switch that she pulled with a zap
And then all at once with his old Santa trick, Ernie turned and he gasped; it was his boss St. Nick!

Santa said, “Get up Ernie. Come walking with me. There is something tonight, which I want you to see.
All these children you say you dislike all have names. They have wants and need love and they aren’t all the same.
I’ve heard what you’ve said, now let’s see what you’ll do, as I take you around and I show you a few.”

The two of them shot to a room in Atlanta, beside a small bed before Ernie and Santa
“Behold little Susie and feel her great joy, as she dreams that you’ll make her, her own special toy.”
“Santa, this girl has no hair is she sick?”, “I’m afraid that she is.” said a somber St. Nick
“You said kids have ungrateful, bothersome ways, but this little girl gives her thanks for each day.”

In a blink with a nod he whisked Ernie away, to a room where an orphan boy currently stays
Santa said “Little Danny’s been moved there and here. His parents have passed. It’s been more than a year.”
He worries and wonders about what’s behind him, and prays every night that old Santa can find him.”

Then Santa and Ernie transported once more, to a house as they floated right through the front door.
“Ernie look; here’s young Jack, and he’s writing a letter. He says he’s been good and he’ll try to be better.”
“Don’t send me a train, or a bat or a ball. Please just send my Dad home, or send nothing at all.”
“He’s fighting a war in a faraway land, Santa please send him home just as quick as you can.”

Ernie awakened all safe and unharmed, in his bed with his lucky, white rabbit’s foot charm
He threw on his clothes and he rushed to the shop, and he hammered and drilled and he glued till he dropped

He welded some gold as he fashioned a locket, then Ernie reached down to the depths of his pocket
He pulled out his faithful old rabbit’s foot charm, and addressed it to Susie to keep her from harm
Then the charm in the locket was carefully wrapped, and then moved to the sled, to be sacked and then strapped

Ernie knew he’d need help, for the work left in store, so he went to ask Santa, and knocked on his door
He told Santa his dream, as he put down his tool, and he said, “Please forgive me. I’ve been such a fool!”
“The forgiveness you seek, will be given to you, by your deeds so let’s go; there is much left to do.”

Santa and Ernie went back to the shop, where he found his elf Sally, and told her to hop
“Turn on my machine, in the back through the gate, which manipulates futures and fortunes and fate!”
“I just changed its chip.” Sally said, “And I’m nervous. It needs some new belts and a gear greasing service!”
Ernie said “Please!” and then Sally replied. “I suppose it won’t hurt if we give it a try”
“After all, those three children, have just gone to sleep, and a promise that’s made, is a promise to keep!”

Sally typed, “Susie and Danny and Jack.”, because what they each needed, wouldn’t fit in the sack
The machine began whirring and rocking and shaking, the Elves held their ears from the sound it was making

And then Santa left to prepare for his trip, there were toys to be finished, and wrapped and then shipped
He looked back at Ernie to say his goodbye, and he noticed a smile, and the tear in his eye
I heard St. Nick chuckle when his big sleigh lifted, he thought of old Ernie, and those he had gifted

By Christmas morning, across the whole planet, were children whose wants and small wishes were granted

A family adopted the orphan named Danny, who now has two brothers, a dog and a Granny
“I’m sure there’s a Santa Claus; it’s plain to see. Because now I have parents who love me for me!”

Little Jack heard a knock and he raced ‘cross the floor, as the gift that he’d asked for walked through the front door
Jack’s father said, “Come and hug me my son!” Said the boy, “Thank you Santa; for what you have done!”

Susie opened her package, which came with a letter, that read, “Love from Ernie.” And made her feel better
She said, “Every day, while I’m here convalescing, brings hope and great joy and its own special blessing.”

As for Ernie? He learned that the state of your mind, which brings Christmas to life is, to always be kind
And the thing about Santa that makes him so cool? Santa knows that the future’s for children to rule

Jeff Burkhart’s “Rhyme and Reason”
© Copyright, November, 2015
All Rights Reserved