Jill's Journal: ‘Twas the morn of our press run ...

I resurrected – with a few changes – this Jill’s Journal installment from December 2020. It’s a play on Clement C. Moore’s famed ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas appropriately tweaked.

‘Twas the morn of our press run, when at the Journal office,

all hands were on keyboards, quickly typing away,

The news and happenings from last week and today.

Editor Jill was plunked at her desk,

simply hoping for the best,

The rest of the staff was working away,

to get out this issue you hold in your hands today.

With Lisa greeting customers that occasionally stop by,

to renew the Journal for their local news supply.

When outside the Journal’s front door could be seen,

U-hauls galore with cars nestled between.

I sprang from my chair to take a quick break,

Thinking of tonight’s dinner, perhaps a steak.

The sun rising on the city provided a glow,

that should be captured in pictures, I know.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

but typos to fix on pages three, four and six!

With a click of the mouse, they were quickly made right,

I knew in that moment this issue would be finished without fight.

More rapid than eagles, I knocked out each page,

And gave Kim the ‘OK’ to take them away.

“Page one is done, and so are three and four,

“Just a few more minutes, and there will be more!”

From front to back and in between,

Soon, this issue would be ready to be seen!

As the minutes ticked away to go to the press,

There surely was no time for rest.

And then in a twinkling, I heard from the ad rep,

“Make room on the page, I have another one yet!”

As I finagled the layout to make it work,

The phone rang, a reader wanting a sub with a perk.

So, they signed up in print for a year,

And we tossed in online to be of good cheer!

For it’s good and wise for all to know,

What’s going on in town, hail, sleet or snow.

My eyes a bit weary from proofing the print.

My head a bit cloudy until the paper is sent.

With no beard on my chin or pipe in my teeth,

I wondered how many readers this week we would reach.

Although chubby and plump I may be,

The news is my passion, as you can see.

A wink of my eye and a twist of my head,

Should tell readers there’s lots of good stuff to be read!

I speak many words, and write even more,

To fill the pages with stories galore.

As deadline looms, I buckle down,

To get the Journal to press and then back to town! 

It’s now time for me to close this holiday share,

So, when you reach in your mailbox, the Journal will be there!

Merry Christmas, Journal readers.