A PRELUDE

A Prelude

Mr Takagi watched the sun

Fall golden on the city

Sunset from the penthouse view

Was always just so pretty

The string quartet were setting up,

The caterers were leaving

And Nakatomi glistened

For a festive Christmas evening

Mr Gruber checked his watch

And straightened out his tie

Los Angeles was glinting

As the haulage truck went by

Karl looked from the window

At the California sun

And grimaced back at Gruber

Slotting bullets in his gun

Miss Gennaro sighed again

As Ellis reappeared

He swaggered through her office

With his sickly smile and beard

She turned to face the window

To the row of picture frames

And out above the skyline

For the outline of a plane

Officer McClane looked out

Upon the world below

The freeway and the palm trees

In the Californian glow

The sun was sinking deep and red

The plane was banking low

And New York City whispered

Through the sunset, ‘let it snow’

Sergeant Powell squared his cap

And climbed into the car

Patrolling on a Christmas Eve

Had suited him so far

Some happy drunks, some kids on bikes

A shoplifter or two

Domestic trouble, paperwork,

A quiet night would do

In the Plaza, all was well,

And Mr Takagi smiled

This had the been the greatest year

The company had filed

Up in the air and on the ground

The string quartet still played:

A prelude to the greatest

Christmas movie ever made