The Week Before Christmas: A Holiday Visit from Mars

The Week Before Christmas: A Holiday Visit from Mars
by Dave Adalian

‘Twas the week before Christmas,
When up in the sky,
There appeared a bright star
Out of place to my eye.
It was in the wrong space,
With the wrong color, too,
And it didn’t twinkle,
Which is something stars do.

It had a hue like a campfire
And was awfully bright;
It outshone all the other stars
With the strength of its light.
“Could that be Rudolf?”
I wondered out loud.
“Do you think?” came an answer;
I was drawing a crowd!

It was then I remembered
That I’d seen this before:
It was fourth planet Mars
Come to knock on our door--
It’s every two years,
Regular as a clock,
Mars crosses the heavens
To visit Third Rock.

“That’s not Santa,” I said,
Pointing up at the sky.
“It’s the Red Planet,
And I’ll tell you why!
All warm autumn long
We’ve watched it grow nearer,
And now cold winter skies,
Make it seem even clearer.

“That planet a-shining
Way up high near’ to Heaven
Is now at its closest
For two-thousand-and-seven.
So bundle up Christmas Eve,
And step out after dark.
You’ll see quite the sight,
One to make you remark!

“It’ll shine in the east,
Bright fiery Mars hanging low,
And right along side it
The Full Moon will glow--
All night long the War God
Along with Luna will fly
Accompanying St. Nicholas
Away up there in the sky!

“As you stand struck with awe
At that celestial wonder
If your thoughts back to Earth
For a moment do wander
I’ll seize on the instant
For there’s something to say:
I most sincerely do wish you
A wonderful winter holiday!”

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This column originally appeared in the Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register on Dec. 20, 2007.