My neighborhood, Dyker Heights, is known for over-the-top Christmas decorations. People come down here from all over, causing traffic jams, to gaze at the elaborate lights, toys and sculptures. Reporting from the heart of the madness:

I have to run cook a Christmas dinner now (family coming over in a few hours). But before I go, I wanted to share a lovely poem with you, written by a fellow Deerling.

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas
By Kat Keller

‘Twas the night before Christmas
And all were asleep
Except one little girl
Who was thinking quite deep

On her just-hung-up stocking
She’d focused her mind
She was wishing and dreaming –
Oh, what would she find?

Now, this girl, she loved colors
Bright greens and bold blues
Reds, violets, coppers
Fantastical hues!

She loved butterflies, peacocks
And orchids and flowers
With colorful dreams
She would pass all her hours

As she looked out the window
And up to the moon
She wondered if Santa
Would be coming soon

When what to her wondering
Eyes did appear
But a glee-wielding elf with
The horns of a deer.

“I’m not Santa” she said,
“I don’t play by his rules.”
Then she filled up the stockings
With bright-colored jewels

“Now on Banshee, on Cleo
Medusa and Vixen
On Pompadour, Circus Girl, Amazon –
Listen!”

“We’ve got to spread glee
from the South Pole to North
and it’s almost the end of
December 24th!”

“On Twilight, on Siren
We’ll deck every hall
Now dash away, dash away
Dash away all!”

The next morning would dawn
Upon bright, cheery skies
Beside glad smiles of girls
With new glee on their eyes.

But that little girl nestled
All snug in her bed
Would remember each word
That the Good Faery said.

Yes, she heard Doe exclaim
As she rose out of sight:
“Happy Christmas to all—
Make it gleeful and bright!”