Christmas Came Too Early - Diane Scantlebury

Christmas is coming
It’s getting earlier every year,
And from his HQ deep in the far North Pole
I’m sure I heard Santa swear,

Harrods had sent him an email at the end of August
A fact that struck him as weird,
For he’d just got back from Barbados
It was hot so he’d shaved off his beard,

They’d already started building his grotto
Festive cards and wrapping were on the shelves,
If he’d any chance of meeting the deadline
It meant more overtime for the elves,

Christmas had come too early
And Santa’s tan barely had time to fade,
He was stressed and under pressure
There were toys and gifts to be made,

Santa wasn’t feeling so jolly
In fact he felt rather flat,
He’d had a great time in the Caribbean
The rum punch had seen to that,

Whose idea was it to start Xmas in August?
It must have been one of the TV admen’s ploys,
But Santa was a true professional
He’d never disappoint all the girls and boys,

Christmas may have started too early
But Santa was determined to keep things on track,
Amidst all the spoilers and cynics
He’d make sure the magic was back,

For he knew the true meaning of Christmas was lost
Overtaken by profit and greed,
At least the children should be happy
In a world still racked with hunger and need.

Diane Scantlebury