The Complete Works of Sinterklaas

This year we decided to resurrect the Sinterklaas tradition of writing poems to accompany gifts. These poems are always written in rhyme, often making gentle fun of the person, affirming some quality, or alluding to the present. Some people are really good at it - they can be hilarious! Anyway, we had a lot of fun.

My niece Pia, aged 8, got into the spirit of rhyming verse and ended each poem with oh Mama Mia! - a dramatic flourish which still cracks me up when I see it...

FOR ISA

I first got to know Isa when sailing from Dar es Salaam to Pemba
Exactly a year ago, in the month of December
I quickly discovered that she’s a great sport:
As the helm was thrust into her hands soon after leaving the port.

Of tacking, jibing and sheating she had not a clue
But within hours she was a happy, relaxed member of crew
Bearing due south, she kept her eye steady on 180 degrees
A smoke in her hand, a G&T between her knees

The next couple of days were eventful enough:
A close call with a dhow and the sea mighty rough
At one stage it looked as if dear Marimba would sink
But Isa remained calm, with not so much as a blink

Some special little quirks, I learnt along the way,
Is that she likes washing dishes while swimming, I say!
She drinks her morning coffee black and cold
And sleeps outside on the deck, rather than down in the hold

Another thing that was plain to see,
Is that Isa and the skipper were a great match:
Love was in their eyes, their smiles were equally wide
For them life is about living, and enjoying the ride.

The thing I admire in Isa, what I love so,
Is her ability to be completely and utterly in the ‘mo’
And in case my rhyme was unclear
I’ll repeat: you’re great fun, and a sista most dear!

Saint Marijke

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FOR ALL FRIENDS OF THE EARTH

rather than be stubborn
the Sint wanted to go modern
and so one day he started
off to the organo-market

he mixed with the organo-rabble
learned to speak the organo-babble
he got high and quite serene
with everything so PC-green

he spent his wealth
on organo-health
and he opened his purse
for the good of Mother Earth

and so I become Organo-friend
speak the lingo, stay with the trend
even though I, true to type
cannot fall for all the hype

so here is the stocking
filled with organo-food
and even if you do not like the taste
it should make you feel oh so good!

Saint Paul (Snr)

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FOR MARIJKE

Here follows a story of a successful girl
Whose life got caught up in a whirl

Who in the morning tends to be rather slow
And needs a cup of tea before she's ready to go

That said, a leisurely stroll she finds impossible to maintain -
Before she knows it, she's up to the contour path and home again.

The morning is there and the day has begun
So much she loves, so much to be done

She tries to balance work and play
And yet so much to fit in within the day.

As ideas and work come in so fast
Time management has fallen in the past

Tho' tricky clients she has learnt to fob
And tricky architects have become part of the job

Her commitments have just become so many
She has to reshuffle, cancel and be quite canny

She's learnt to use technology to make her quick
And knows when to send an SMS to do the trick

Yet faster and faster spins her spinning top
As her interests keep her on the hop

Her house, her friends, her creative side
Her canoe, her dogs, yoga, a bicycle ride

Her principles are firmly in place: she invests in green -
Her recycling and various endeavours to keep our planet clean

And faster and faster spins her spinning top
'Oh how -" she wails, '- to make it stop?"

Ask Saint Nick, who's wise and in the know
And he'd probably answer, "Why not read - 'In praise of ......?' "

Saint Tanja
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FOR MARIJKE
This picture is made out of circles and a square
and this picture isn't a little bit bare
it may give yo a scare to see
how much we own right there
And your dogs Mickey and Tiggers
Are really fantastic diggers
This picture will make you go beserke

Mama Mia!
from your darling Pia
(aged 8)
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FOR OPA
You have a very large house
and you're as a cosy as a mouse
you're very big and strong
and every day your house goes dong!
you have a huge big pond
and if builder's phone you really have to respond (?huh?)

oh Mama mia
from clever Pia
(aged 8)
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