Poetry | Jendi's Journal

Sunday Poem ~ Hold His Birthday Dear

December 30, 2007 By Jendi 2 Comments

Dear God, one day is far too short

To mark the birthday of your Son.

The sounds of bells and carols fade,

And even the tallest tapers run

Their lovely course of light. The tree

Has had its hour, and time is swift.

Is Christmas Day now ended? No,

It lasts as long as spirits lift

In joy at mention of His name

Or kindness rules because of Him,

As long as words spread warmth or smiles

Bring sun to places shadow-dim.

Dear God, we hold His birthday dear;

It lives in hearts through all the year!

~ Marie Daerr Boehringer

Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: Christ's Birthday, Christmas, poetry

Sunday Poem ~ Ready For Christmas

December 23, 2007 By Jendi 2 Comments

Ready For Christmas

“Ready for Christmas,” she said with a sigh,

As she gave a last touch to the gifts piled high,

Then wearily sat for a moment and read,

Till soon, very soon, she was nodding her head.

Then quietly spoke a voice in her dream,

“Ready for Christmas? What do you mean?

Ready for Christmas when only last week

You wouldn’t acknowledge your friend on the street.

“Ready for Christmas, while holding a grudge?

Perhaps you had better let God be the judge,

Why, how can the Christ-child come and abide

In the heart that is selfish and filled with pride?

“Ready for Christmas when only today

A beggar lad came and you turned him away

Without even a smile to show that you cared?

The little he asked — it could have been spared.

“Ready for Christmas? You’ve worked, it is true,

But just doing the things that you wanted to do.

Ready for Christmas? Your circle’s too small –

Why, you are not ready for Christmas at all!”

She awoke with a start and a cry of despair,

“There’s so little time and I’ve still to prepare.

O Father, forgive me, I see what You mean,

To be ready means more than a house swept clean.”

Yes, more than the giving of gifts and a tree,

It’s the heart swept clean that He wants to see;

A heart that is free from bitterness, sin –

Ready for Christmas — and ready for HIM.

~ Alice Haneche Mortensen

Filed Under: Sunday Poems Tagged With: Christ's Birthday, Christmas, Daily Life, poetry

Sunday Poem ~ Christmas Night

December 16, 2007 By Jendi Leave a Comment

The Night of Nights

So many moons had come and gone Across the heavens fair . . .

Day followed night, night followed day In usual sequence there.

But one night in the velvet sky A brilliant star appeared,

A strange phenomenon indeed, And all who saw it feared!

Shepherds upon a lonely hill Stood dumb-struck and afraid,

Some left their sheep in panic, while Still others knelt and prayed.

Just then bright angels pierced the night With wingspreads ‘cross the sky

Singing a song of peace on earth, “Glory to God on High!”

Meanwhile the lofty star had burned A pathway through the night,

The humble inn of Bethlehem Was flooded with its light.

This night . . . a night of miracles Differed from the rest

For Christ was born to Mary, all The weary world to bless.

“Then let us go,” the shepherds cried, “To see this holy sight!”

On, on to Bethlehem they went On, on into the night.

There they beheld the infant King And worshipped and adored

The One whom God had sent to be The Saviour . . . Christ the Lord!

This night, so mystical, so sweet, Differed from all the other

Because the Saviour came, there’s hope For every man and his brother.

~ Georgia B. Adams

Filed Under: Sunday Poems Tagged With: Christ's Birthday, Christmas, poetry

Sunday Poem ~ One Small Child

December 9, 2007 By Jendi Leave a Comment

One Small Child

One little Child . . no more, no less –

And could His mother Mary guess

Salvation for the human race

Depended on that night, that place?

And did she know this Child would cause

All heaven to rock with glad applause?

Would cause the angels to rehearse

Their midnight song of sacred verse?

Would cause a star of strange design

To leave its orbit, and to shine

A brilliant path, from east to west?

Would cause wise men to choose the best

Of hoarded treasure, and to search

The nations from a camel perch?

Would make a king (in craven fear)

Destroy small man-children near?

To this small Child the nation thrilled,

For He was prophecy fulfilled.

But could His mother even guess

While rocking Him with tenderness,

The whole import of His advent . . .

This one small Child, from heaven sent.

~ Esther S. Buckwalter

Filed Under: Musings, Sunday Poems Tagged With: babies, Christ's Birthday, Christmas, poetry

Sunday Poem ~ Old-Fashioned Christmas

December 2, 2007 By Jendi Leave a Comment

An Old-Fashioned Christmas

I’d like to push the Calendar

Back fifty years or so

And celebrate my Christmas

As they did so long ago.

A tree of green would grace my room

With candles shining bright,

And popcorn strings, and homemade things

Would fill me with delight.

I’d make a gift or two for each

One in my family

And hide them until Christmas

When I’d place them ‘neath the tree.

The snow that fell upon the ground

Would last all winter long.
I’d ride a one-horse open sleigh
And sing a Christmas song.

The family would go to church

Through snow on Christmas morn

And listen to the story of

When Jesus Christ was born.

They didn’t have the worries of

A shopping tour each day

To outdo one another

With their gifts on Christmas Day.

Christmas many years ago

Was a splendid thing.

It was the day to celebrate

The birthday of our King!

~ Patricia Mongeau

Filed Under: Musings, Sunday Poems Tagged With: Christ's Birthday, Christmas, poetry

Sunday Poem ~ Hold His Birthday Dear