'Twas an Amateur Christmas

By Jack Wright, KC4ZEK
email to jwright@chattanooga.net

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the night,
We Amateurs sent messages, with the speed of light.

The stockings were hung by the ham rigs with care,
In hopes a new dual-bander, soon would be there.

And Ma with her HT, and I with my set,
Had just settled down for a long Winter's net.

Here and there are the books that we need,
Books that we’re crazy if we don’t read.

Books equal to motherhood, and apple pie,
Like Uncle Wayne, they Never Say Die!

When out in the street there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to the window to see what was the matter.

When what to my wondering eyes should see,
But a plain gray van, with a license plate: "F C C".

With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew as my heart sank, it was not St. Nick.

He knocked at the door, no chimney to help,
Said "I’m from the government, I’ll have those cookies & milk."

Now I thought to myself, "What a sticky wicket",
With laser sharp eyes he was examining my ‘ticket’.

He tested the radios, one by one,
I held my breath, and tried not to run.

Now Yaesu, now Kenwood, now Ten-Tec and Icom,
On Comet, on Cushcraft, on Azden and Den-Tron,

To the top of the tower, to the end of the beam,
Now dash away, dash away, signals SO CLEAN!!

After testing my setup, and laughing so gay,
Not "HUMBUG" said he, but "Your rigs are OK".

Then he was away like a flash, no question or fee,
By then, he was just like Santa Claus to me.

And..I heard him exclaim ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"73's TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!"

Reprinted with permission from Ham Radio Online magazine,
available for free on the Internet at http://www.hamradio-online.com