Friday Poetry: Walter De La Mare

Hello!

My chosen poem this week is by Walter de la Mare (1873-1956) who was an English poet, short story writer and novelist. He is best known for his works for children.

Mistletoe

Sitting under the mistletoe
(Pale-green, fairy mistletoe),
One last candle burning low,
All the sleepy dancers gone,
Just one candle burning on,
Shadows lurking everywhere:
Some one came, and kissed me there.

Tired I was; my head would go
Nodding under the mistletoe
(Pale-green, fairy mistletoe),
No footsteps came, no voice, but only,
Just as I sat there, sleepy, lonely,
Stooped in the still and shadowy air
Lips unseen—and kissed me there.

Walter de la Mare

Happy Reading

Etsy

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Friday Poetry: Charles Causley

Happy Friday Everyone!

I have had a lovely day of reading and relaxing today which has been just what I needed.

I have been busy planning the Carol service for the church I play the organ for and I found this little poem which I thought I would use for my blog today and the Carol service later this month.

The poem is by the Cornish poet, school teacher and writer Charles Causley (1917-2003).

Mary's Song

Your royal bed
Is made of hay
In a cattle-shed.
Sleep, King Jesus,
Do not fear,
Joseph is watching
And waiting near.

Warm in the wintry air
You lie,
The ox and the donkey
Standing by,
With summer eyes
They seem to say:
Welcome, Jesus,
On Christmas Day!

Sleep, King Jesus:
Your diamond crown
High in the sky
Where the stars look dawn.
Let your reign
Of love begin,
That all the world
May enter in.

Charles Causley

Happy Reading

Etsy

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Friday Poetry: Wendy Cope

Happy Friday Everyone!

My chosen poem today is another Christmas poem and one I have recently discovered. The poem is by the English poet Wendy Cope (1945).

Motorway Music

At last, in spite of everything,
The moment does arrive.
This year it was on Christmas Eve,
Teatime, M25,

When I switched on the radio
And heard 'Nowell, Nowell',
And had to join in singing for
The King of Isreal,

Along with half the choirs on earth
And all the choirs of Heaven,
As I drove through the pouring rain,
Approaching junction 7.

And then my passenger woke up
And came in with his bass.
I wanted to see happiness
Like ours on every face.

In every car. The traffic slowed.
The queue went on and on.
The sound of trumpets introduced
Another Christmas song.

Who cares about a traffic jam
While herald angels sing?
Each year the moment does arrive,
In spite of everything. 

Wendy Cope

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

Friday Poetry: Traditional

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone is looking forward to the weekend. I’m planning more reading and Christmas decorating.

My chosen poem today is another Christmas poem or Christmas carol but sadly the author is unknown.

I Saw Three Ships

I saw three ships come sailing in,
Come sailing in, come sailing in;
I saw three ships come sailing in, 
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And what was in those ships all three,
Those ships all three, those ships all three?
And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas Day in the morning?

Our Saviour Christ and his lady,
And his lady, and his lay;
Our Saviour Christ and his lady,
On Christmas Day in the morning

Traditional

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

Friday Poetry: Traditional

Happy Friday Everyone!

I’m hoping to put some of my Christmas decorations up tomorrow so I thought I would start doing some Christmas related poems on my blog.

This poem doesn’t have an author listed.

Christmas is Coming

Christmas is coming,
The geese are getting fat,
Please to put a penny
In the old man's hat.
If you haven't got a penny,
A ha'penny will do;
If you haven't got a ha'penny,
Then God bless you!

Traditional

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

Friday Poetry: Cecil Day-Lewis

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone has had a lovely week so far.

My chosen poem this week is by the former Poet Laureate, Cecil Day-Lewis (1904-1972).

The Christmas Rose

What is the flower that blooms each year
In flowerless days, 
Making a little blaze
On the bleak earth, giving my heart some cheer?

Harsh the sky and hard the ground
When the Christmas rose is found. 
Look! Its white star, low on earth,
Rays a vision of rebirth. 

Who is the child that's born each year - 
His bedding, straw:
His grace, enough to thaw
My wintering life, and melt a world's despair?

Harsh the sky and hard the earth
When the Christmas child comes forth. 
Look! around a stable throne
Beasts and wise men are at one. 

What men are we that, year on year,
We Herod-wise
In our cold wits devise
A death of innocents, a rule of fear?

Hushed your earth, full-starred your sky
For a new nativity:
Be born in us, relieve our plight,
Christmas child, you rose of light!

Cecil Day-Lewis

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

Friday Poetry: Roald Dahl

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone has some fun plans for the weekend.

My chosen poem for this week really made me chuckle so I thought I would share it.

Where Art Thou, Mother Christmas?

(Written for Great Ormond Street Hospital)

Where art thou, Mother Christmas?
I only wish I knew
Why Father should get all the praise
And no one mentions you. 

I'll bet you buy the presents
And wrap them large and small
While all the time that rotten swine
Pretends he's done it all. 

So Hail To Mother Christmas
Who shoulders all the work!
And down with Father Christmas
That unmitigated jerk!

Roald Dahl

Happy Reading

Etsy

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

Friday Poetry: Eleanor Farjeon

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far and you all have exciting weekend plans. I will be honest December is not proving to be our best month. I have spent most of the week without a car and just because I have a hugely busy weekend of playing jobs my car is still not fixed so I will have to borrow my Mom’s car. This will be the first time ever my Mom will have let me drive her car.

As we get closer to Christmas I have decided to go for a Christmas themed poem.

Mary's Burden

My Baby, my Burden,
Tomorrow the morn
I shall go lighter
And you will be born. 

I shall go lighter,
But heavier too
For seeing the burden
That falls upon you. 

The burden of love,
The burden of pain,
I'll see you bear both
Among men once again.

Tomorrow you'll bear it
Your burden alone,
Tonight you've no burden
That is not my own

My Baby, my Burden,
Tomorrow the morn
I shall go lighter
And you will be born. 

Eleanor Farjeon

Happy Reading

Etsy

Friday Poetry: Timothy Tocher

Happy Christmas Eve!

I hope everyone is ready for Christmas and Father Christmas visiting.

When I saw this poem I thought it was perfect for Christmas Eve so I have been saving it just for today.

The poem is by author and poet Timothy Tocher.

Help Wanted

Santa needs new reindeer.
The first bunch has grown old. 
Dasher has arthritis;
Comet hates the cold. 
Prancer's sick of staring
at Dancer's big behind. 
Cupid married Blitzen
and Donder lost his mind.
Dancer's mad at Vixen
for stepping on his toes.
Vixen's being thrown out - 
she laughed at Rudolph's nose.
If you are a reindeer
we hope you will apply.
There is just one tricky part:
You must know how to fly.

Timothy Tocher

Happy Reading

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Friday Poetry: The Friendly Beasts

Happy Friday!

It is time for another Christmas themed poem and this one is about the animals of the Christmas story. Sadly the author of this lovely poem is unknown.

The Friendly Beasts

Jesus our brother, kind and good,
Was humbly born in a stable rude,
And the friendly beasts around him stood;
Jesus our brother, kind and good.

'I,' said the donkey, shaggy and brown,
'I carried his mother up hill and down,
I carried her safely to Bethlehem town;
I,' said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

'I,' said the cow, all white and red,
'I gave him my manger for his bed,
I gave him my hay to pillow his head;
I,' said the cow, all white and red.

'I,' said the sheep, with the curly horn,
'I gave him my wool for his blanket warm;
He wore my coat on Christmas morn.
'I,' said the sheep with the curly horn.

'I,' said the dove, from the rafters high,
'Cooed him to sleep, my mate and I,
We cooed him to sleep, my mate and I;
I,' said the dove, from the rafters high.

And every beast, by some good spell,
In the stable dark, was glad to tell,
Of the gift he gave Emmanuel,
The gift he gave Emmanuel.

Happy Reading