'Twas the Night Before Christmas, RRVWP Style (2014)

'Twas the Night Before Christmas, RRVWP Style (2014)

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the Valley

Not a creature was stirring in school, street, nor alley.

Some homes had Christmas stockings hanging with care,

Some had menorahs or kinaras; others were bare.

Most children were nestled all snug in their beds,

And adults cruised online to clear their tired heads.

When out on the Internet there arose such a clamor,

"It's them!" I cried out with deplorably bad grammar.

And there I could see on Facebook and listserv

The familiar red letters and blue river curve,

As Nancy, Kelly, and Pam with a flick of their mouses

Sent messages galore to all our TC houses.

More rapid than eagles their cursors they flew,

As they sent out links to articles and a writing prompt or two

To encourage their members, both veteran and new,

To keep writing their blogs, stories, and haiku.

The moon on the breast of the very little snow

Couldn't compete with the allure of my computer screen's glow

As I read through the blog at rrvwp.blogspot.com,

Then caught up on Facebook with all that's going on.

Saturday seminars, book clubs, retreats just for writing

Summer Institute, Annual Reunion, and other events exciting,

That bring reading, writing, and learning to fruition,

For "Improving Literacy Instruction, K-16" is our site's mission.

"I'll do it all!" I exclaimed, full of good cheer,

And wrote the dates on the calendar for the coming new year.

Then yearning to write and work on my own prose,

I grabbed pen and pad as the day came to a close.

To get my thoughts on paper as I desired,

I knew I needed from my computer to retire.

But I saw one last post before I logged off for the night,

"Happy Holidays to all and to all a Good Write!"

--Pam Fisher, RRVWP Co-Director

Based on the poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822