By Jefferson Siegel
’Twas the afternoon of Christmas
and all through Downtown
A photographer was searching for
scenes of locals holiday-bound
The editor had said, “get shots of children
playing with their new toys,
It’s Christmas, after all, they’ll be
out making lots of noise”
So the intrepid photog
made his way around
but it was mostly tourists
who filled the town.
There were families with accents speaking
all manner of language
but nowhere could he find many locals
with children and their holiday baggage
When suddenly he espied
on a bench in Battery Park
Who else, but Santa!
not some holiday narc
“So there’s one good picture,”
the photographer thought,
but he knew Josh would ask
for the image he hadn’t yet caught
So up the Esplanade
the photographer did tread
in the mild, bright sunshine
looking for signs of a sled
There were few locals about
in the holiday sun
When the photog finally realized
they’re all home with video-game guns
Finally in Rockefeller Park
did the lensman see
a family’s young one
on a new skateboard crying, “Whee!”
“I’m from Downtown Express”
as the camera clicked away
“Merry Christmas to all,
Check the paper Friday!”
Jefferson Siegel, a Downtown Express freelance photographer, sends his apologies to Clement Clarke Moore. His Christmas day pictures also appear on page 17 of this issue.
