Competition Entry

One Christmas was so much like another,
in those years around the sea-town corner now
and out of all sound except the distant speaking of the voices
I sometimes hear a moment before sleep,
that I can never remember
whether it snowed for six days and six nights
when I was twelve
or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights
when I was six.
All the Christmases roll down
toward the two-tongued sea,
like a cold and headlong moon
bundling down the sky that was our street;
and they stop
at the rim of the ice-edged fish-freezing waves,
and I plunge my hands in the snow
and bring out whatever I can find.
In the end it turned out to be a snowball fight

My wacky granddad, quite odd indeed
a funny lad, he carries a lead.
When Christmas comes I beg and I plead
guess what he gets me, an apple seed.
A cat in a hat, a rat and a bat,
an orange, a lemon, a pear and a mat,
a table, a frog, a nut in a hut,
some cheese, a clock and a monkeys foot,
a window, a brick, a worm and a chair,
a gate, a zebra, a pencil and a bear,
a potato, a book, a candle and a flare,
the rest he got me I really don’t care.
That’s what I got for Christmas,
that’s what I got from him.

On my 2nd year of Christmas there was perfume for my sister
On my 2nd year of Christmas there was a pen for the mister
On my 2nd year of Christmas there was some Duplo for me
I found it hiding underneath the decorated tree.

On my 3rd year of Christmas I lay down to sleep
I tried really hard not to make a peep
On my 3rd year of Christmas I sat down to be
pleased by a lovely roasted turkey

On my 4th year of Christmas I wanted to get
the very biggest Lego set
On my 4th year of Christmas I made a big list
But there seemed to be a lot that Santa had missed

On my 5th year of Christmas I wanted my present to be
an action figure that looked like me
on my 5th year of Christmas I had a great day
and at the end of it I said “HOORAY”

C is for Christmas the most wonderful time of all
H is for her baby boy who’s birthday is on Christmas
R is for reindeer flying through the sky
I is for ice poles dropping down a tree,
S is for Santa’s list, who’s been good or bad,
T is for tree, a sparkly shiny tree what you put in you house,
M is for Mary, a baby is born
Antlers on a reindeer
S is it course Santa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Christmas cracker is a magical cracker
BANG went the cracker as they pulled it
CRACK went the cracker as they pulled it

They looked inside and they couldn’t believe there eyes.
There was no hat,
there was no big cat,
there was just jokes,
and a toy squishy that loves pokes
And here was all the jokes:
What do snowmen wear on there heads? *
Which reindeer is the most rude? **

The kids were upset
and their jumpers were very wet,
they didn’t want the crackers to be kept!

A Christmas cracker is a magical cracker
BANG went the cracker as they pulled it
CRACK went the cracker as they pulled it

Have a magical Christmas

* Ice caps
** Rudolph

I woke up from late afternoon slumber
Caught you, hands curled in action
Back arched against the Christmas tree
Eyes gleaming towards the waning December sun

You clutched a Yankee candle that sat still
The leftover wax arresting it
To the prison of the windowsill
From the last time we had a candlelit dinner

I smiled faintly as I heard you
Pray out loud, to St. Nicholas
It was the first and maybe the last time
I’d see you like a child

Eyes locked intensely in slits
You looked concerned
I listened to your mantra
You asked for a long and deep glass jar

You wanted it brimming with honey
To smoothen the rough edges
Of the bumpy road
That lay ahead of us

As you walked upstairs to your room
To lay down, still and silent than ever
I went to bed thinking about honey
And woke up
A queer taste of salted caramel in my mouth.

At Christmas everybody puts pollys on
The window is that a surprise
Everybody likes to be jolly
I love Christmas

I roamed the world in rags
Knocking on people’s houses
Hoping they would offer me shelter
And food
A place to share their Christmas
I hoped the spirit
Would make them more generous
I entered mansions
And grand houses
Decorated beautifully
When I knocked
They simply frowned
And drove me out
They try to hide
By beautiful ornaments, trees, and rich gifts
I wandered far and wide
Looking for anyone to aid me
When finally I stumbled upon
A small and humble house
No expensive decorations
Just a plain simple tree
With a warm fire glowing
Blazing in the hearth
With warmth and friendliness
They invited me
Treated me as I were lord
I smiled
And gave them a marvellous sight,
No words convey its beauty
And unless you can picture the beauty of kindness
No poet can describe the sight
Which was denied to others
For an act kindness
Shines more than gold

We grin and laugh
Happily, on Christmas Eve
Exchanging presents
Tokens of love
Being passed around
In the smallest manner
From the smallest rose
Even the Almighty King
Expresses his love
Not by gifts bought with gold
Not with beauty, pride and gifts
But by giving us capacity to learn
The ability to love
Showing us share and care
So let us embrace what we have
And respect what others are
For we are alike, no matter how different
Black or white
Short or tall
All share a common ground
For we all are the beloved creations
Of the Almighty
And let us embrace
The Christmas blessing

The floor was white and freezing cold
The blizzard had come and started bold
It moved in from “The North”
and decided to go forth!

St Nick was free in November
His part came in December
He was the one who brought the joy
a little gift for girl and boy!

The trick to have a cosy season
Is to understand the real reason
So here I sit right now with my
hot chocolate and warm mince pie!