'Twas the Night....

My good friend Ben sent this to me on Facebook this afternoon and gave me permission to post it here. He is incredibly creative and is a Bama fan currently residing in Auburn....if I think living in Tallahassee can be bad surrounded by Florida State fans, then I'm sure that's nothing compared to being a Bama fan in Auburn. Luckily, this circumstance has brought out the best in Ben. Thanks for sharing Ben!!

An original poem I wrote for the Holidays

Twas two weeks before Christmas, so cold and so damp
And the dominant Tide were the SEC champs
They crushed their opponents, they cut them no slack
And they broke Auburn’s hearts in two games back to back.
All good children were sleeping, as everyone knows
(But awake were Lane Kiffen, and his UT ho’s.)
While those who loved Bama with all of their soul
Dreamed of number thirteen and the scenic Rose Bowl .

When out on the lawn there arose such a ruckus
I sprang from my bed to see just what the fuss was.
“Why should I be woken?” I cursed, as do sailors
While all my Barn friends got to sleep in their trailers?
What I saw next is hard to describe in a rhyme
It seemed louder and bigger than old Denny Chimes.
But what to my wandering eyes did appear
But a big crimson sleigh and eight GIANT reindeer!
When he yelled ‘bout “the process,” so smart and so quick
I knew in a moment, it must be St. Nick!

I laughed at the deer that did pull on his sleigh!
They were huge, they were strong, and he called them by name:
“Now Ingram! Now G-Mac! Now ‘Rondo and Javy!
On Tiffen! On Trent! On Marquis and Cody!
“From Mobile up to Florence, all over this state
Don’t you dare stop it now boys, you’re doing so great!”
They’d beaten the Gators, they’d made many cry.
We all knew their attitude: never say die!
So right up to my condo in Auburn they flew
With a sleigh full of joy, and St. Nick was there too.
Now up on the housetop they made such a din
That I thought Terrance Cody would cave the roof in.

As I drew in my hand and was turning around
Through the doorway St. Nick Saban came with a bound!
He was dressed all in crimson, from head to his foot
And his rings they did glisten, as my hand he shook.
A bundle of trophies was slung on his back,
And he grinned like his team had recorded a sack.
His straw hat was stately, his bearing so proud
(And a headset lay broken nearby on the ground.)
To Auburn this year he had already been
But he found that the village was quite filled with sin.

“Bama fans,” he exclaimed as he looked at my lights
“Are the only ones around here getting a prize.
But still, I am pleased as I go through this town
Our numbers are growing by leaps and by bounds.
AU fans who say ‘Go gators’ or ‘Hook ‘em horns!’
Will only find coal as they wake Christmas morn.”
“Thank you, St. Nick!” I said, all while so filled with glee
“Now let’s go out to Cali, let’s pick up thirteen!”
“Right” he said to the reindeer, “Let’s get back to work!”
Out the door to recruit more he turned with a jerk.
An SEC title he’d won us already,
And now ‘twas his job just to keep the team steady.
He sprang to his sleigh, to the squad gave a yell
And they quickly left Auburn, like bats out of Hell.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight:
“Rammer Jammer to all, and to all a ROLL TIDE!”

-Ben Grover