The Night Before – The Night Before

‘Twas the night before the night before Christmas
All the streets have been plowed
Storeowners are dreaming
Of tomorrow’s frenzied crowd

Decorations are hung
In the windows with care
In hopes that last minute shoppers
Soon will be there

Buying candles and ornaments
And hand-knitted socks
Books, cards and jewelry
Little painted clocks

Away then to High Street
Folks fly in a flash
To buy last minute gifts
They’re carrying cash

When what to their wondering eyes
Should appear
But some friends in a window
Having a holiday beer

With a stop at the Midway
Lively and quick
They forget for a moment
There are more presents to pick

They leave in a hurry
Remembering why they came
They’re here to shop
Where people know their name

To the top at Bergets
To the bottom at Howdle’s
Now shop away! Shop away!
Shop away all!

At the Wantoot gallery
They get an itch
To stop at the Gray Dog
For soup and a sandwich

They shop for antiques
Choices abound
Crazy Franks, Rowe’s, Commerce Street Antiques
And iFinder in the center of town

They go to Longbranch
And rub the cat’s belly
They buy some art
Made by Tom Kelly

They head out of the store
And look all around
They see de la Pear
And away they do bound

They visit with Annie
And head back up to High
They stop at the Rooster
For a big slice of pie

Away to Bobbi Jo‘s
Where it’s twinkly and merry
Mr. Bobbi Jo helps
Because there’s so much to carry

At Prairie Oak Artisans
They buy some carvings on display
Then head to Heaven Scent Floral
And pick up a Christmas bouquet

They go down to Shake Rag
And shop at Green Square
An indoor farmers market
Rink DaVee is there

They stop at the Cruise Inn
But there’s no time to rest
They get coal up at Mitchell‘s
Then down to Phoebe’s Nest

They talk about the weekend
And where they might meet
Brewery Creek, the MP Dining Company
Or Kusaka to eat

They head down to Prairie Oak Artisans,
Bottleworks and Foundry Books
Then up to the Stairway Gallery
And across to the Bargain Nook

They need one last thing
Something special and neat
They stop at Sirius Sunlight, Artful Apparel,
C.Peplinski and High Street Sweets

Exhausted by now
It was time for a nap
But even the babies are partying
Down at Tony’s Tap

As they surveyed their purchases
They were all so pleased
And then they remembered
“We forgot to buy cheese!”

Hook’s wasn’t open
Because Friday it was not
So they head to Five Points
And cheese is what they got

I heard them exclaim
As they walked out of sight
Merry Christmas Mineral Point!
And to all a Good Night!

(All the links in this post are to the Facebook pages of these businesses. Wish them a Merry Christmas by liking them.)

– Contributed by the Hays