Your Last Christmas

It is hard, after everything To put the pain and frustration of years aside To tread softly and speak gently Because it could be your last Christmas It is hard to trust The evidence of my eyes You have lied so often Feigned illness or incapacity But you can barely hear You struggle to comprehend…

The Real Gifts

Here’s a Christmas cracker Open it with me It pops apart and Peace rains down On us like confetti Here’s a little bottle   Corked in at the top Pop the cork and drink the Joy Down to the final drop Here’s a Christmas present Topped with a shiny bow Open up and find my love…

Origins of old Christmas Carols

I do like the music of Christmas. Christmas carols and songs can be beautiful, funny, catchy and an enjoyable soundtrack to the season. (There are exceptions to this, of course – Rudolph and Frosty, I’m looking at you.) It can be interesting to know just how far back some Christmas carols go. So, I have…

The Bell Tolls

The bell tolls The final candle flares to life on the Advent wreath It’s time The bell tolls People leave their homes and head toward the house of God Their hearts are full of joy The bell tolls The doors open wide for all the people Music sounds and voices lift in song The bell…

Review “The Father Christmas Letters” by JRR Tolkien.

“The Father Christmas Letters” is a collection of letters and accompanying pictures written by JRR Tolkien for his children. Of course it is traditional in many countries for children to write letters to Father Christmas, but Tolkien’s children were lucky enough to receive letters back. (What a great dad Tolkien must have been, with so…

Putting up the tree

It’s a store-bought plastic tree Old now, been in use for years Branches askew, from a cat climbing through But still, it is right for what I need Put together, spread out the fake branches, just so Tinsel next, wound round and around Then each decoration comes out of its wrapping (chosen over many years,…

Christmas decorations – a history

One of the things I enjoy about Christmas is the decorations. I love Christmas trees, and enjoy putting up and decorating mine every year. So, I've put together a few interesting facts about popular Christmas decorations, and where they started. The Wreath In northern and eastern Europe, in the deep winter, evergreen branches were brought…

Bethlehem’s Star

They came from the east Following a path of light Taking a leap of faith To a new tomorrow A new star shines Hovers over a small town Lighting up the night With promises of glad tidings Through dangers and hardship The wise journey on Til they come to the place Where the world has…

A Christmas Gift

Parcels wrapped up in fancy paper Shiny ribbons and frilly bows Suggesting delights concealed within As excited children wait for Christmas morning Let us open the gift of love Let us open the gift of kindness Let us open the gift of charity Let us open the gift of hope Love descends on Christmas morning…

Christmas Tree

Clean smell of fir permeates the home, Dark needles shed to layer the carpet beneath Soft lights glow, casting peaceful shadow Ornaments glitter in the firelight Bells tinkle softly in a faint breeze And a star presides from the topmost branch Once evergreen came into the home Reminder on midwinter that spring would come again…