The True Meaning Of Christmas by Paul Curtis (literature books to read .txt) 📕

shines a star
Standing out from the jewelled sky
A star that seems to call out
Sweetly “Christmas is nigh”


IT WAS CHRISTMAS EVE

It was Christmas Eve
We were preparing for Christmas day
Stuffing the bird and peeling veg
Singing of Santa on his sleigh
When the phone call came
I thought great Dads on his way
Or maybe it will be Gran
With another Christmas cliché

A happy Christmas call
Full of happiness and cheer
In truth it was the very opposite
It was the call we all fear
The death of a loved one
The voice says so very clear
“I’ve lost my best friend”
And I had no words only tears

Out of the blue so unexpected
Certainly not on Christmas Eve
Christmas should be a celebration
Certainly not a time to grieve
But Christmas Eve or not
It seems it was his time to leave
So farewell dear brother
Life without you I cannot conceive

For my Brother Peter who died on Christmas Eve 2008

SAVIOUR, AT YOUR BIRTH

Saviour, at your birth
The angels softly sang
Heralding your arrival
To save the fate of man

Now your birthday is near
We hear the church bells rang
Calling your children hither
To sing the thanks of man


JUST LIKE JACOB MARLEY

Peter was taken on Christmas Eve
Just like Jacob Marley
But the similarity ends there
He was never grasping or stingy
He had not been well for a time
And happy to pass without fuss
But he would have been hopping mad
That he was missing Christmas
He would not have planned it that way
And picked a better time to leave
I think he would have been happier
If he had died on New Years Eve

For my Brother Peter who died on Christmas Eve 2008


DO YOU BELIEVE IN SANTA?

Do you believe in Santa?
It’s a yes or no answer
Have you never seen him?
He is there none the less
He is in the smiling faces
Or people that you meet
And in the children’s laughter
As they rush along the street
He is in the hearty handshakes
And the heart felt hellos
He is at the happy reunions
And the tearful farewells
He is in the choirs voices
Singing praise to the lord
And in the hearts of volunteers
Who feed the homeless
He is the presence of good
He is the Christmas spirit


ALL THE CHRISTMAS SAINTS AND ANGELS

All the Christmas Saints and Angels
Work behind the scenes
To orchestrate the season
Like precision built machines

They make the tinsel sparkle
They make the music play
They fill out hearts with love
As we wait for the saviours day

All the Christmas Saints and Angels
Pulling the strings unseen
Their purpose is a simple one
To fulfil all our Christmas dreams


CAROL OF THE BELLS

Pulled with violence
To break the silence
Choring, drawing

Mechanism priming
Ready for chiming
Banging, clanging

Momentum gaining
Timbers straining
Creaking, speaking

Mechanical timing
With rhythm climbing
Swaying, obeying

The peel resounding
A sound astounding
Ringing, singing


The call goes out
Around and about
Voicing, rejoicing

Come says the calling
Come one and all in
Morning, morning

Christ born this day
The Christmas bells say
Rejoicing, rejoicing

TWO THOUSAND YEARS HAVE PASSED

Two thousand years have passed
Since you died on that cross of pain
Dying for our salvation
Which began your holy reign

Two thousand years have passed
And when Christmas comes again
We will celebrate the day of you birth
Which began your holy reign

SILVER STRANDS

It sparkles there for all to see
Threaded round the Christmas tree
Silver tinsel shinning bright
Silver strands of Christian light
It shines and sparkles as a symbol
Of the love Christ has for us all
A strand of love, looped and curled
Threaded all around the world
And when you look at a Christmas tree
Silver strands of love you’ll see

SING IN PRAISE

We stand around the Christmas tree
And sing to the Christmas melodies
We thank the lord for what we are
Standing beneath the Christmas star
To celebrate the Christ child's birth
When he came to us to save the earth


MELCHIOR, CASPAR AND BALTHAZAR

Three kings from the east
Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar
Enlightened kings of wisdom
On their great quest travelled far
Three wise men from the east
Who followed a bright star
Three kings bearing gifts
Gold, frankincense and myrrh
Three kings from the east
Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar
Three kings of great wealth
Bowed low before the saviour

WITH OPEN ARMS

With open arms I welcome Christmas
I embrace its merriment and mirth
With open heart I welcome Christmas
To celebrate the Christ Childs birth


CHRISTMAS, CHRISTMAS

Christmas, Christmas,
A time of peace and joy
When God gave us his son
Jesus the holy infant boy
But kids don’t think of Jesus
They just want the latest toy

Christmas, Christmas,
When God gave us a saviour
A redeemer for all the world
Now it is the season of plethora
When the rich can feel richer
And the poor just feel the poorer

Christmas, Christmas,
God was your sacrifice in vain
When you gave the world your son
Only to see his body slain
If only we had not lost our way
Will we be better when he comes again?


HE SLEEPS A KINGLY SLEEP

Oh prince of peace
Humbly lain on hay
Born to the world
On this special day

Shepherds, beasts
And kings of earth
Pay homage
At the saviours birth

While the Christ child
With angelic face
Sleeps a kingly sleep
In this humble place

REMEMBER, REMEMBER THE SIXTH OF DECEMBER

Remember, remember the sixth of December
And put your red boots out
Because that is the very special day
When St Nicholas is about

CHRISTMAS DAYS

Christmas days
Holidays
Spiritual and Holy days
Christmas days
Holidays
Mistletoe and holly days
Christmas days
Holidays
Candy canes and lolly days
Christmas days
Holidays
Spiritual and Holy days
Christmas days
Holidays
Jovial and Jolly days


TREE OF LIFE

Proudly standing there
In the town’s main square
The Christmas tree stands tall
Admired by one and all
Decked with coloured lights
Of red and green and blue and white
And every kind of coloured bauble
Short and long, large and small
Candy canes and bows adorn it
And myriad forms of other trinkets
This wonder easily catches the eye
Of every busy passer by
Who simply marvel at the sight
With open mouthed delight
Who before they continue on their way
Have to wipe a tear away
But it’s not the tree reaching to the sky
That brings a tear to the eye
But the parcels of every shape and size
A festive feast for weary eyes
A testament to people’s generosity
Sitting beneath this wondrous tree
Such a generous response to the endeavour
Thank God for those who know the answer
When want and need begs the question
Praise be to those who never forget
With hearts so full of Christmas spirit

SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT

Silent night, holy night
Such a sweet carol
Neither rousing nor stirring
But moving and inspiring
A carol to unite in adoration
A song to touch the soul
Poignant and joyous
Holy music at its most powerful
Simple and unpretentious


THE LITTLE CHRISTINGLE GIRL

Oh sweet little Christingle girl
Your daddy is so very far away
“Bring my daddy safely home”
These are the words you pray

Oh sweet little Christingle girl
Daddy is away at the war
“Bring my daddy safely home
Bring him safely to our door”

Oh sweet little Christingle girl
How she misses daddy far away
How sad she is, he won’t be home
To be with them on Christmas day

At Sunday school she made a christingle
She took an orange to represent the world.
And to symbolize the blood Christ shed
She took the red ribbon from her curls


Then she decorated four tooth picks
With fruits and sweets and marshmallows
These she placed in the four corners
To represented all the earthly souls

Then finally in the centre of the orange
She stood a single candle of purest white
And when lit, the candle represented
The world filled with Christ’s loving light

The sweet little Christingle girl
Took it home with her that day
And stood it in the window
So daddy would find his way

And the sweet little Christingle girl
With her daddy so very far away
Knew that when he did come home
That would be their Christmas day


THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL

The Christmas Angel comes each year
To spread around the Christmas cheer
Though the angels seldom appear
They are still there so do not fear
And listening with the keenest ear
You will never ever be able to hear
The Christmas angel standing near
But she will look over those near and dear
As she spreads around the Christmas cheer
Then the heavenly presence we revere
Twill be gone again until next year


OH GOD TO YOU WE PRAY

Oh God to you we pray
To let peace on earth come our way
Oh God to you we pray
Would that we could have our way
Oh God grant this day
That peace on earth will come our way
Oh God we hear you say
That peace on earth will come our way
If we could from this day
Just live Christmas every day

Inspired by Helen Steiner Rice (1900-1981)


CHRISTMAS DAY IS ALMOST HERE

Christmas day is almost here
The time of year
I hold so dear

When to tradition we must adhere
When to every ear
We are sincere

A time of goodwill and cheer
A time to care
A time to share

Christmas is when we banish fear
Keep close those near
And those dear

Christmas day is almost here
The time of year
When we revere


THERE’S NO BETTER TIME THAN CHRISTMAS

There’s no better time than Christmas
I’ve always believed it to be so
When we remember Christ the saviour
Born two thousand years ago

There’s no better time than Christmas
When we celebrate his birth
In the sanctuary of a candlelit church
We rejoice for all we’re worth

There’s no better time than Christmas
To look beneath ageing skin
Of any of the old souls in the season
And still find a child within

There’s no better time than Christmas
I’ve always believed it to be so
When we remember Christ the saviour
Born two thousand years ago


YULETIDE GATHERING

On the oak and iron studded door
There hung a wreath of yuletide
That was so pleasing to the eye
It seemed to welcome you inside

The hallway was lit with candles
Of every shape, size and hue
And tasteful Christmas decorations
Seemed to be constantly in view

Down the entire length of the stairs
Entwining the polished mahogany
Garlands of holly and evergreen
Filled the scene most sumptuously

The drawing room was minimalist
Each decoration chosen with care
The focal point was the mantelpiece
And the little stocking hanging there


In the corner stood a mighty tree
Festively decked in all its glory
But their was more to the gathering
Than just the Christmas story

Every face bore