‘Twas the night before Christmas on the Kona side, everyone was waiting for Santa’s big ride.
All were sleeping content in their beds, smiling as aloha danced in their heads.
They knew Santa would fly from the icy North Pole and bring everyone bentos and sushi rolls.
He’d bring ukuleles, poke and pig. When he landed in Kona, he did it up big. ‘Cause Kona side of Hawaii was his most favorite place, when he flew toward Kona he had a smile on his face.
After traveling the world handing out all the toys, giving keiki and everyone so much Christmas joy. Santa was tired and needed a rest, and when it came to relaxing he knew Kona was the best.
So above the Pacific in the bright, sparkling dark, Santa looked down for a good place to park. But first he had some more work to do, he had to deliver a few toys or two.
It was time to put presents under da tree for to bring joy to all da keiki.
Santa then called his reindeer by name, all of his reindeer knew the whole game. “On Kolohe, and Kimo, Poke and Poi, Frank Delima and Primo and Lilikoi!”
He flew by Waimea and Waikoloa, over the Palisades and Holualoa. He flew over the airport holoholo, when they saw him fly by they thought they’d gone lolo.
Then on to Kealakekua and down to Ka‘u, onward in the night Santa Claus flew.
He cruised above Ali’i Drive, his jolly sled went into a dive, it was time for Santa and his deer to land, he thought he’d set down on the white sand.
And that’s what he did landing by Old A, he and the reindeer and his shiny red sleigh.
The night was a beautiful, clear Christmas Eve, the stars shined in the sky like you wouldn’t believe. He looked around him at this paradise place and a big smile was on Santa’s face.
After he traveled to the mainland and more, he was sitting on Kona’s shimmering shore.
It was warm in the winter and summer and fall, nothing was wrong with Kona at all.It was easy and breezy, a good place to be, if you wanted, you could sit all day by the sea.
Santa’d been ‘round the world in some real bad places, and remembered sad looks on the peoples’ faces. The rest of the world is cold day and night, but on Kona side the temperature’s was always just right.
Santa sat back and looked up at the sky, this was paradise and now he knew why.
He saw the sky lighten, Christmas Eve was all pau, He saw it was time to fly away now.
The reindeer all knew it was time to go, so they lined up in front of the sled in a row. And just like the famous poem he wiggled his nose, and into the Kona sky they all rose.
As the reindeer pranced and lifted the sleigh, Santa gave a big shaka as he flew away.
You could hear him exclaim as he flew out of sight, “Mele Kalikimaka to all and to all a good night!”
Dennis Gregory writes a bi-monthly column for West Hawaii Today and welcomes your comments at makewavess@yahoo.com