Dr. Bryan Coker reads ‘The Night Before Christmas at Maryville College’
You’ve heard “The Night Before Christmas” poem – but here’s a fun version, written with Maryville College President Dr. Bryan Coker, his family and favorite pet in mind. Dr. Coker recently did a special fireside reading with help from his son, Andrew, at RT Lodge on the MC campus.
‘Twas the Night before Christmas at Maryville College,
Not a res hall was open, students gone with new knowledge.
The exams were all graded, marks posted online
With students left dreaming of a Spring just as fine.
Profs had ended the term and finished their tasks,
Teaching while wearing cool tartan-themed masks.
And Anne with hot cider, Nathan D. with his beer
Led employees in closing a very good year.
When over the campus, a streak caught my eye,
I thought it an airplane flying low in the sky.
Moving close to my window, the air was now still
And scanning the grounds, I braced for a thrill.
When, what to my wondering eyes should a’render
But a miniature sleigh, and six family members,
With a stubby young driver, so lemon and jolly.
I knew in a moment it must be Miss Dolly.
More rapid than Scotties her coursers they came,
And she howled and she bayed and she call’d them by name:
“Now! Bryan, now! William, now! Chris, fall in line,
On! Sara, on! Andrew, on! Sweet Caroline!
To the top of Bart-lett! To the top of Thaw Hall!
Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!”
I stood in my office, amazed by this Basset
A dog at the helm? My reaction was tacit.
Then up to the gables, the Cokers they flew,
With the sleigh full of goods, and Miss Dolly Dog, too:
And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,
The skidding and stomping of each Coker foot.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney came a most confident hound:
She was dressed in bandana, tied up in a knot
Orange and garnet were worn, Christmas dressed she was not.
A bundle of presents was attached to her side
And she look’d like she’d had a most harrowing ride:
Her eyes, how they drooped! Her jowls, how they hung,
Her mouth open wide, with a drooly pink tongue!
Her short legs were bowed but she didn’t mind,
Her family was patient, and they loved her kind.
She had folds in her skin and long ears that were brown
They swayed when she walked, the tips – they were round.
She was friendly and agile, a pretty young pup,
And I laugh’d when I saw her and gave a thumbs up.
A sniff from her nose and a wag of her rear,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to fear.
She withheld her deep barks and went straight to her bag,
And fill’d all the stockings with Maryville swag.
And with sad puppy eyes that belied inner mirth,
She dug nails in the chimney and hoisted her girth.
She sprung to her sleigh, to her team gave command,
And away they all flew, up and over the ground.
But I heard her exclaim, when she shrank to a dot
“Happy Christmas to all, and you know this: Go Scots!”
Written by Karen Beaty Eldridge ’94, Executive Director for Marketing and Communications
Inspired by the Christmas classic by Clement Clarke Moore