'Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the house,
A drunkard was getting the word from his spouse.
His skull was like fractured, his nerves were in shreds,
And visions like sledgehammers danced in his head.
Shaking and sweating and down in the dumps,
Old Rudolph, the red nose, was getting his lumps.
She screamed and she shouted; she called him a souse,
A four letter liar, a cheat, and a louse.

He was filled with remorse, what she said was the truth,
But he'd promised before, and what was the use?
But he cried and he pleaded, with tears in his eyes,
He was through with the drinking, and cheating, and lies.
And he kept every promise, as firm as a rock-
'til the next afternoon, about two o'clock,
When he met, quite by chance, a friend of his youth,
Who invited him in, for gin and vermouth.

Just a teeny martini, no harm in just one,
For the sake of "old times", and the damage was done.
Then one with the barmaid and one for the road,
And just a few more, for the good swingin' load;
And who the hell cares what the family thinks?
A guy's got a right to a coupla drinks!
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

But Mom and the kids put the tree up themselves,
While Pop lived it up with the rest of the elves.
When out in the street there arose such a clatter,
They rushed to the door to see what was the matter.
They watched while "Ol 'Santa" with charm and with grace,
Fell out of the cab and onto his face.
His manner was lordly, like a duke with a lackey,
And he generously gave his last buck to the hackey.

His nose, how it twinkled; his whiskers, how merry;
He smelled like a locker-room, sprinkled with Sherry.
The car? He'd misplaced it, while hocking his watch
About a day and a half after switching to Scotch.
He couldn't remember; his mind was a blank,
What he did with the money he drew from the bank.
He dismissed these small problems with a gesture of scorn,
And smiling serenely, passed out on the lawn.

Well, the next day was Christmas for family and friends,
But our hero woke up with a case of the bends,
The shattering heaves and the galloping sweats,
The horrible doom and the bitter regrets,
The terror of living and the terror of death,
The pulsating skull and the shuddering breath.

Devastated, he lay in the ruins of his life,
Unaware that he'd already promised his wife
To make an attempt to escape from his plight,
With the help of two strangers who were coming that night.
So they talked while he listened and shivered and twitched,
And said he'd go with them, though he sweated and itched.
Though he didn't remember a thing that he heard,
Yet strangely enough he believed every word.

That Christmas is past, and the years in between
Make it seem that it almost, might never have been.
But he still remembers and knows that it's true,
And he hopes that this miracle will happen for you.
Some peace and affection and freedom from fear----
Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year ----
One day at a time.