Wednesday 11 December 2013

POETRY JAM - SEASON'S GREETINGS

“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” - Roy L. Smith
 
This week, Poetry Jam has urged followers to write about childhood beliefs. The approaching holy days of Christmas cannot be overlooked and in the jolly consumer’s paradise we have created for ourselves, we try to recapture the magic of childhood and the wonder of true belief.
 
The Season’s Greetings
 
The greeting cards announce in cursive script:
“A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”
As mailboxes fill with hollow cardboard wishes,
Stock sugary images – empty felicitations…
 
The carols blare in lifts, in shopping centres:
“Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth”.
Children bright-eyed in greedy innocence,
Stare with hungry eyes at toy store displays.
 
The Father Christmases in their thousands, chuckle:
“Ho, ho, ho!”, with white beards and hair a pale caricature.
The milling crowds around them hope to be infected
By their scarlet pretend jollity and ersatz joviality.
 
The decorations brightly sparkle, the Christmas lights shine:
“Noël, Noël” the electronics tinkle as they flicker on and off.
As families gather united under the same roof,
Their enmities are suspended, temporarily, under false smiles.
 
Somewhere a tiny baby is in a hovel born,
Its mother unmarried, only a distant relative present.
The stars burn bright in the firmament,
And one falls, streaking bright across the blue velvet.
In the cold air, the lowing of the cattle breaks the silence,
While somewhere in the distance a shepherd’s pipe
Begins to play a simple tune that’s carried by the wind.
 
Christmas again this year has come.

13 comments:

  1. Oh, there definitely are some aspects of Christmas that one wishes would not be there...such as the hollow, cardboard wishes......but I think perhaps everyone has to do what they can to keep the true meaning of Christmas evident in our lives this time of year

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  2. I guess the true spirit of Christmas is best conveyed within families and religious communities and sadly there is nothing we can do against the commercial aspect of the holiday. But you're right there is indeed a great contrast between the baby who was born in a manger and the consumer's paradise you describe.

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  3. Really interesting reflections on the season. You capture the contrast of Christmas very well.

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  4. yes it is...and i am not against santa...i think the spirit of giving is a good thing but we have seized upon it and ...as with anything in excess, it gets turned into something dark....i like the shepherds flute there in the end to call us back, you know...smiles.

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  5. Nick, it does ring hollow especially in the shopping areas--and some years are brighter than others, the main thing is the joy of being together and sharing traditions--an excellent write

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  6. I sometimes wonder if it is only as adults that we come to see the fake exteriors of so much of Christmas in our times--maybe it takes the kids to see the magic that remains.

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  7. Sad as it may be, you have captured the holiday in a most realistic way ... we need to focus on your last stanza. Smiles.

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  8. Our consumer society reduces everything to things that can be bought and sold. I am glad that in your last stanza and in the photo you give a ray of hope that the real meaning of Christmas is alive and well - especially so in children.

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  9. I think consumerism has definitely gotten out of control, especially at Christmas. Focusing on what is really important should be the goal. Great list here, I like how you did this.

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  10. I think a lot agree with what you have to say about the significance of Christmas.
    Merry Christmas to you!

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  11. In the end, on the day of celebration, hopefully all the commercialism is forgotten and special family memories are made!

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  12. I think that Christmas is what we make it.

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  13. we try to keep it simple and just enjoy each others presence rather than presents. Have a lovely Christmas Day.

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