'Twas the Flight Before Christmas

'Twas the flight before Christmas throughout the concourse. 
The last trav'lers all nervous and all out of sorts;
Their delayed flight still shown at the gate to O'Hare,
With hopes that the late flight would soon arrive there;

Happy kids in pajamas were jumping on seats;
For rushes of sugar kept moving their feet;
With their mom on her phone, dad looked up from his Mac,
Had just heard his girl cry and yelled, "cut it out, Jack!"

And then out on the ramp there arose such a clatt'r,
The kids rushed the gate door to see what was the matter
On his way to the rescue dad flew like a flash,
Ever ready to scorn and give them a lash.

Yellow lights on the tarmac showed new-fallen snow,
Gave a luster of midday to objects below,
And then what to dad's wondering eyes did appear,
But a tiny toy plane, ones passengers fear,

With both old and young pilots so filled full of grit,
Were determined to fly it despite the tight fit.
As the passengers rushed to pack up and deplane,
They reached up for switches, and called them by name:

"Off, seat belts! off, beacons! set brakes and on heat!
Off, engines! on, fuel pumps! The Checklist's complete!
To the top of the gate!  I am bouncing off walls!
After such a long flight, it is nature that calls!"

With the travelers' exit complete to the last,
Through the door, the grayed Captain, completed the cast.
He was dressed in a suit, from his neck to his shoe
It was clear that his clothes were to show that he flew;

With a handful of stripes on his sleeves on display,
Briefly stopped for the kids as they stared in dismay.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

Yet it clearly was cold, was it starting to snow?
And the beard on his chin, more than 5 o'clock's shadow;
When he smiled and waved at the kids standing there,
They ran quietly, finally, to wait in their chair;

His shoulders were broad and he laughed deep and hard,
With ten hours on duty, his mood won't be marred.
A bad joke he tried telling, his courage exude
Was bold, how he tried hard to lighten the mood;

A quick wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave them to know they had nothing to dread;
He tried joking no longer, right back to his work,
Cleared the agent to board and then turned with a jerk. 

The last airplane was full, to the runway they went,
And at last, it would seem, 'twas good money they spent;
Felt it launch off the ground, gave their lives up to fate
And away they all flew to their families who wait.

From this pilot to you, while I fly through the night—
“Merry Christmas to all, hope you have a nice flight!”