'Twas the Night Before Christmas South of the Razor Wire

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the FEMA Camper
not a creature was stirring, not even a fly.
The IP Casino and the Popps Ferry Bridge were open.
Highway 90 had traffic again.
The stockings were hung by the escape hatch with care,
in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their tiny beds,
while visions of submarine bunks and MREs danced in their heads.
And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap ... oops, no that went in Katrina,
had just settled on our plywood box and foam pad
(FEMA calls it a bed)
for a long winter's nap with dreams of a handicapped accessible
real mobile home and Red Cross Family Service like Florida got after Ivan.

When outside there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the contractors had torn up now..
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tore open the accordion shade, and pushed out the escape window.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen rain
gave the lustre of midday to the muddy objects below,
when, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but a miniature Humvee pulled by eight tiny reindeer
wearing respirators with bits of insulation and shingles all over them.

With a little old driver and two National Guardsmen with their respirators,
(The curfew is still on South of the tracks you know!)
so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,
and he whistled and shouted and called them by name:
"Now Dasher! Now Dancer!
Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid!
On, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the camper!
To the vent hatchl!
Now dash away! Dash away!
Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky to avoid the temporary power pole
up to "Blue Roof" he went and promptly slid off onto the trailer-top,
with the sleigh full of toys bouncing around, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the aluminum roof
the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
I sure hope they don't start another leak.
Oh well, another few tubes of latex caulk from Lowes will solve that.
As I drew in my head and was turning around,
St. Nicholas came squeezing through the vent hatch with a groan.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
and his clothes were all tarnished mildew spots, pork bellies and debris.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes had tears and he exclaimed ...
I heard, but could not imagine it was this bad until I got here!!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
and the beard on his chin was speckled with debris.
The stump of a pipe, he could only hold tight in his teeth,
because there was a burn ban in effect, you know.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
that shook when he sobbed, like the stuff in the refrigerator on the street.

He was chubby and plump, a right sad old elf,
but I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.
Just what we need I said, a touch of PK ... Pre Katrina
to give us hope for the days to come.

He smiled, spoke not a word more, but went straight to his work,
and filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
and giving a nod, his eyes got big as he yelped,
I forgot that there was no chimney.

He ran out the door saying he wanted no more of the hatch,
sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,
"The Coast Shall Rise Again and Happy Christmas to all !"

A Brief Note about the Author Tom Hammack
December 24th, 2005

We are now lucky enough to be in a FEMA camper in the front yard of our home in West Gulfport. The house was inundated by the storm surge of Katrina. It was hip deep in the main part of the house. We will rebuild!!

December 24th, 2006

We are lucky enough to still be in a FEMA camper in the front yard of our home in West Gulfport. You know what a Condo is. We are in our Tin-Can-Do. We are will rebuilding!! We now have sheet rock hung and 'though I am not a politician, I am slinging mud as fast as I can. (Finishing sheet rock) We have had help from many faith based organizations in the time since Katrina. Without them we would be much further away from moving back in. Another group of North Carolina Baptists are due in the 26th or 27th. Friends, who are also helpers, from Warsaw Indiana are due by for a visit on the 30th. We look forward to seening them again. we call all our helpers our Guardian Angels. This year at 68, I have pulled wires through the attic in the summer heat and hung and mudded sheetrock in freezing weather. I am getting too old for this, but those of us here on the coast do not give up easily