A Visit From The Krampus

by Cruz Flores based on “A Visit From St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore
 

‘Twas the eve before Yuletide, when all through the land

Children were wicked and quite out of hand

The toys were dispersed on the floor without care
Heedless the Krampus would soon be there
 

The dishes all broke, the sugar-plums eaten

None cared anymore if they were all beaten

Mama cried in her ‘kerchief, I felt like a sap

Their vows to be good were all full of crap
 

Around the whole house, they were all full of clatter

Dumping the pudding and watching it splatter.

Right through the windows, rocks flew with a crash

Tore down the shutters and drapes they did slash
 

Then the moon turned red on the new fallen snow

And gave the bearing of Hell on children below

When what to my terrified eyes did emerge

A grand chariot whipped by a Hellish black scourge
 

With a hideous driver come to attack us

I knew right away it was the terrible Krampus!

More rapid than demons in the house he came

He called out the children and knew every name:
 

Now Timmy! Now Tony! Now Donna and Steven!

You’ve had enough fun, now it’s time to get even!

His eyes how they smoldered! His teeth were serrated!

In front of the children, I almost there fainted
 

He was vicious and sharp, a demented, dark elf

And I stared at his horns, in spite of myself

The curl of his lip and the cock of his head

Told all the children he was someone to dread
 

And as good as his word, he then went straight to work

He chased all the children, snatched them up with a jerk

Into the sack, he flung every one by the nose

Until all you could see were the tip of their toes
 

He sprang to his chariot, and gave a hard lash

Then broke down our door with a deafening loud crash

But I heard him bellow, ere he flew out of sight,

“Be good little kiddies, or I’ll see you tonight!”