Beneath the aching winter’s shroud,

A child walked mute through the bustling crowd.

Her feet, bare whispers on the frozen stone,

Her ribs a harp of hunger’s tone.

She carried a box, her treasure, her thread

Of tiny star-sticks, sulfur-fed.

She called to the rich, the hurried, the gray,

“Buy one, kind sir, and light your way.”

But no one paused, no coin was tossed,

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Based on the Gospel of Luke 2

A decree from Caesar* spread across the land,

That all should go to be enrolled and taxed.

To Bethlehem, where Joseph took his stand,

With Mary, great with child, as law exacts.

While there, the time was come for her to bear,

And she brought forth her firstborn son, divine.

In swaddling clothes, He lay without a care,

Upon the straw, God...

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Over the stillness
a silence greets our walk
alongside the snow
to your family,

the wind curiously absent
and no children
eager to build snowmen
or men walking their dogs,

a stillness greeting footsteps
that one sound
carrying us forward
binding us together in excitement,

that one continuous emotion
a love spreading us onward
across the snow
forwards never backwards

forward...

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He thought

All I want is here

the tree that reaches the ceiling:

with the decorations the boy had helped hang

and the lights he could reach

to pull off

He thought

I hope they like my gifts

the presents beneath the low branches:

with the labels that the girls had turned over

and peeped at to see

which was theirs

He thought

I am alone with Christmas

the many...

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Twas the night before Christmas

When starless darkness held the night

With howling wind and sleet;

All through the house was ne'er a light

Dark, and a door that creaked

And despite the fire, twas cold as snow

Only the low fire flicker

Could lend the room a ghostly glow

And light the undecked tree.

I crept towards the bottom stair

Mouse-still and watching

A creak, a...

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They tell you to try with all of your might,

But it's the things that you least expect stealing your sleep at night.

As we descend into the darkness of winter, my mind is lit up with thoughts on 5th November,

I look back, I remember you, I remember

.

Walking to Oxford Street all alone,

the people that pass by, they all seem like clones.

It's not long until they have somewhere ...

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When day falls down

be mine

for the night

passes by.

You choose which

way we run

I can't choose more than one.

You got no sleep but I found my belief,

I found my belief.

The Westway's dark.

Please stay, don't fade away

Save us,

lone stars.

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The feast of Yule returns again

With glad and merry times;

The bells are ringing out for you

Their joyous, cheery chimes.

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PARTY

It’s Xmas and it’s party time so let’s get down and do it,

your house is the place and your beer is for free as we come and chill out.

The music’s turned up and everyone is welcome to celebrate that festive spirit.

As the hours spin by and the beer flows the party games start,

it’s not charades or monopoly but strip poker and wife swapping as all inhibition...

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