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Christmas Poetry ~
Hijacked in Poetry Now Anthology,‘Christmas in Reflection’ in 2004
Christmas found
‘I need a
woman who will say yes!’’, said God.
Gabriel replied, “that could be difficult,
there are so many career women these days,
I’m not sure you’re going to find one.
There are many opportunities now,
and women are out there,
doing their bit for the world.
It’s not like the old days,
when the little woman stayed at home
and meekly said, ‘yes, dear’.”
God said, ‘Which Century are you in, Gabriel?’
Gabriel replied, ‘the Twenty-first’.
God said, “You need to go back in time,
fly through galaxies,
across the solar systems,
past the stars, suns and planets,
enter Earth’s atmosphere
and head for Nazareth.
In a humble home,
you will find a peasant woman
who will say, ‘yes’.
Her name is Mary.”
© Mags Scorey 8 Jan 2003
“I’m engaged to Joseph, a descendant of King David”,
said Mary, “I’m rather proud”.
“Today, a very important angel came to visit me,
I don’t know why I was so highly favoured?
He said, ‘Peace be with you’.
Gosh, I was troubled and didn’t understand at all.
The angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary,
God is being gracious to you,
you will become pregnant,
give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus.’
The angel said a lot more … which blew my mind!
The angel explained this birth was to be like no other,
it was to be God’s doing and not man’s.
He told me that nothing was impossible with God.
I said, ‘I am God’s servant, let it be as you have said’
And the angel disappeared.
© Mags Scorey 4 Jan 2003
I’m engaged
I’m thrilled to bits
she’s a lovely girl,
her name’s Mary.
All the family like her,
how could they not?
But yesterday, she told me she was pregnant.
I couldn’t work it out,
because we weren’t married
and I’m a gentleman!
So I thought I’d have to call it off,
but it would break my heart
and hers.
Then I had a dream,
an angel told me to get married.
I’ve never had a dream like that…
but it seemed very real.
So I thought we’d better sort things out quickly,
to stop any gossip….
I didn’t want her to be hurt.
Mother iced the cake in double-quick time!
And the angel told me to call him Jesus.
© Mags Scorey 10 Jan 2003
‘I love
it here, hanging around above Scotland,
I love the scenery, looking down on lochs,
mountains, glens and islands, nothing better!’
Then the Creator asked me to do a job.
‘I want you to move to Bethlehem’, He said.
‘Why?’ I said, ‘I’m quite happy here
and it’s very peaceful, I’ve been here for years!’
He said, ‘I have a special job for you to do, come on….’
‘So I had to go, one can’t argue with Creators.
When I arrived at Bethlehem, I went all hot
and seemed to be the brightest star around.
I wondered what was going on,
I’d never experienced anything like it in my life?’
The Creator said, ‘Just stay still,
you are heralding the birth of a baby
and people will follow you and find him’.
‘So I did as I was told and saw some amazing events,
then eventually was allowed to fade away
and travel back to Scotland again.
But I’m glad I did it,
I have something to tell my fellow stars!’
© Mags Scorey 13 Jan 2003
‘Come on, you stubborn mule, get moving!’
said Joseph, somewhat frustrated.
Mary was already sitting on Dan
to make the long journey to Bethlehem.
‘I don’t want to go, this isn’t right’, said Dan,
‘Mary’s 9 months pregnant, don’t you care, Joseph?
I wouldn’t treat my partner like that -
it’s over 60 miles from here to Bethlehem!’
Joseph looked so sad, ‘I know’, he said,
‘but this is important, Dan,
we’re all having to be counted
and Bethlehem is our town’.
Dan looked back at Mary, then at Joseph,
shook his head and set off to Bethlehem.
He didn’t know that years later one of his relatives
would bear the man Jesus into Jerusalem
with shouts of ‘Hosanna’ around their ears
and palm leaves laid at their feet!
But the cross on his back
foretold that future.
© Mags Scorey 5 Jan 2003
‘Busy tonight,
isn’t it dear?’ Ian said to his wife.
‘Well, we knew it would be, it’s the census,
gotta dash, see you later’, she replied.
There were relatives greeting relatives
they hadn’t seen for years, cousin Joe and Auntie Flo
and a long lost brother from Hebron.
So much to talk about, some had brought presents.
The staff were running to and fro,
meals coming out, drinks from the bar,
plates being collected, hardly any time to breathe.
Even Ian was helping out with serving tonight,
then a knock at the door stopped him in his tracks.
He dropped the tray onto the nearest table
and went to the door.
He saw a tired-looking couple standing there.
‘We’ve no room’, he said, straightaway,
‘gosh your wife’s rather large, I hope you find somewhere’,
then he closed the door.
Joseph and Mary stood in the cold,
not knowing which way to turn.
Then the door opened again
and Jane the maid was standing there.
She said, ‘come with me, there’s a stable round the back,
you will at least be out of the cold
and I’ll pop back later and see how you are’.
She took Joseph and Mary to the stable
and introduced them to their companions for the night,
Claribell the cow and Larry the lamb.
Joseph and Mary thanked God for a roof over their heads.
© Mags Scorey 1 4 Jan 2003
Back to
the top
‘Yes, lovely’,
said Claribell,
‘I think I might dream tonight, are you warm enough?’’
‘I’m fine’, said Larry, ‘nighty night’.
‘Sleep well’, said Claribell.
The soft breath of night was all that could be heard.
Then suddenly a knock on the door startled them.
‘What’s that?’ said Larry sleepily
‘I don’t know’, Claribell said, half-awake,
‘let’s go and see’.
They went to the door of the stable
and saw a man and woman
and a maid called Jane from the Inn.
Jane said, ‘Can you make room for two more,
the Inn’s rather full tonight?’
Claribell and Larry looked at each other,
‘Oh well’, they sighed, ‘if we have to….’
But they couldn’t sleep,
there was so much going on…
noises from Mary, Joseph pacing up and down,
Jane rushing to and from the Inn with water
and towels, then suddenly a baby was born!
Shepherds appeared looking a bit dazed,
people dropped by from the Inn,
Jane popped back again with cloths to cover the babe.
Claribell looked at Larry and said,
‘when do you think it’s going to be peaceful again?’
Larry said, ‘I don’t know, but I think it’s all in a good cause?’
© Mags Scorey 4 Jan 2003
Tom, Bill and
George were guarding their sheep,
out in the moonlit night.
When suddenly an angel appeared.
Tom said, ‘look, I’ve never seen one of those before!’
Bill cowered down like a little mouse.
George looked curious.
The angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid, guys,
I’m not going to hurt you.
I’ve come with good news,
the Christ has been born in Bethlehem!
You will find him in a manger,
wrapped in strips of cloth’.
Tom said, ‘what’s this all about?’
Bill kept very quiet.
George said, ‘I think I understand’.
Then a great army of bright, bright angels appeared,
singing, ‘Glory to God in the highest’,
Then they disappeared.
Tom said, ‘what do you think we should do?’
Bill said, ‘we can’t leave the sheep’
George said, ‘yes, we can,
we can ask Sarah, the biggest sheep, to baby-sit,
come on, let’s go!’
So Tom, Bill and George hurried off to find the babe.
And when they found him,
they shared all that the angels had said.
It touched Mary’s heart deeply.
Tom, Bill and George gazed for a while in wonder,
then hurried back to their sheep,
singing and singing and singing
for all they were worth!
© Mags Scorey 4 Jan 2003
Jesus being born
in the midst of it all.
The jostling, shouting crowds,
the lack of accommodation,
an alien government.
A man and a woman alone
bearing a child of the Universe.
Jesus being born
in the midst of it all.
The dirt and the dust,
the sheep and the cows,
water and fodder
hay - walked upon, slept upon.
Not in some holy commune,
nor in a meeting for prayer,
but in the midst of life,
Jesus was being born !
© Mags Scorey 1972
The ‘Bethlehem Times’ Reporter
Ray and
Diane had settled down for the night,
snug and warm, happy together,
soon they were asleep, a perfect couple.
Then Ray heard someone knocking at the door,
he donned his dressing gown to see who it was.
It was Jane, the maid from the Inn.
‘Come quick’, she said, ‘a baby’s been born!’
Ray said, ‘I don’t normally turn out for babies’.
Jane replied, ‘But this is a special baby,
the shepherds have spoken about angels and singing,
come on, I’m going back to the stable’.
Ray wandered back upstairs, Di was also awake,
he snuggled back into bed, nibbled her ear,
then after a while, they went to sleep again.
That day, Ray missed the biggest scoop of his life;
Centuries later there are books and books galore,
entries in people’s diaries, poems,
songs, stories and carols;
there are thoughts in people’s hearts.
That babe is known in so many parts of the world.
But Ray chose his warm bed and missed
one of the greatest stories ever told!
© Mags Scorey 10 Jan 2003
Back
to the top
‘My
owner, a wise man, has just told me
we have to go on a long journey
and I don’t want to go,
so I’ve got the Hump!
He waffled on about some special star
and a King being born,
I felt so baffled,
I forgot how to stand up …
front legs or back legs first?
Eventually I had to give in,
he said there would be no food if I didn’t obey.
Gosh, it was a long journey,
even with a couple of pals to chat with,
it was still a heck of a way.
When we got there,
it was just some mucky old stable,
we could have stayed at home to see that.
I will never understand humans?’
© Mags Scorey 5 Jan 2003
‘Have you, I
can’t see it’
‘Well put your glasses on then!’
‘Ooh yes, there it is, what does it mean?’
‘It means a baby has been born’
‘That don’t make much sense, there are loads of stars
why is this one so special?’
‘This baby will be a King’
‘Ooh tell me more?’
‘I don’t know any more – we’d better go and ask Herod’
‘I don’t like him’
‘Come on, we’re going’.
They journeyed to Jerusalem
and were informed of the whereabouts of the babe.
‘Have we got presents?’ they conversed
‘Well, I did my shopping in October’
‘I haven’t, I’m gonna have to dash to town!’
They followed the star closely
and eventually found themselves in Bethlehem.
‘He must be in the best hotel, let’s go there’
‘No, the star’s not above the hotel, it’s over here’
They found themselves in a lowly stable.
‘Pooh, what a pong, are you sure we’re in the right place?’
‘Yes, the star is here !’
‘It looks awful .. are you absolutely sure?’
‘Yes, this is the baby ….’
‘Oooeer……I’m gonna have to kneel down’.
Written for Hindu, Muslim, Christian
evening of carols and poetry.
© Mags Scorey 11 Dec 2002
Herod said, ‘over
all I survey.
Then one day three men from the east,
who studied the stars, came to Jerusalem.
They asked me where the baby was
who was to be king of the Jews?
For they wished to worship him.
I was fuming, for I am the King!
There is NO room on the throne for two of us.
I had to summon all my wise men,
for I did not know the answer.
They told me the babe would be born in Bethlehem.
I was still fuming,
so I asked the three men to let me know where he was,
pretending that I wished to worship him.
They didn’t come back, I got even madder
and ordered the death of all the babes under two,
I thought this would sort out the threat to my supremacy,
for I am the King!’
© Mags Scorey 9 Jan 2003
~~~~~
The book of Matthew says an angel warned Joseph in a dream to escape to
Egypt,
so this plot to kill the baby Jesus failed (Matthew 2:13-14),
but think
of the unspeakable sadness of the families involved then.
Let us quietly give thought to all bereaved
‘Let’s steal it
away’, said the robbers.
‘Why?’ said the child.
‘Because we can make money out of it!’
‘But Christmas is about a baby’, said the child.
The robbers replied,
‘Well, it’s disturbing to think that we have to be
full of good cheer towards everyone.
We’ll turn it into a party for family and friends,
then everyone can enjoy themselves’
‘But what about the outsiders,
the old and the lonely, the homeless?’ said the child.
‘They can take care of themselves, come on, let’s party!’
So the robbers festooned the child with tinsel,
bought him loads of cards and presents,
wrapped him in so much paper, he couldn’t see.
They put up a tree, decorated it with a star,
they put lights in the window, it was lovely!
They made a cake, bought turkey, sprouts, carrots,
potatoes, stuffing, Christmas pudding, brandy sauce,
Christmas cake, nuts, dates, figs, cheese and dips
and lit lots of candles, it was wonderful!
But the child still looked sad.
‘What have we done?’ said the robbers.
The child replied, ‘Well I like all this stuff,
but I can’t see the baby…’
© Mags Scorey 2 Jan 2003
How these poems came into being
It was like an acorn … in 2002, I
was invited to a Hindu, Muslim and Christian evening of poetry and carols; I
wrote “I’ve Seen a Star” for this evening and also read a fun poem accompanied
by actions and some dancing – that one takes courage, but I had performed it
at Cannon Poets!
For the second time in my life, I was envisaging spending Christmas alone, but
thought, ‘no way am I going to sit at home feeling miserable!’ So I sought for
a church group who were going to provide some happiness for people who may
otherwise have been on their own Christmas Day. Eventually I found one and
offered to perform some poetry and on 23rd December, they said, ‘yes’ and I
also had an invitation to visit friends for a late dinner.
Our entertainment group of guitarists, singers and me went well. One dear lady
hugged me, after being one of four volunteers to help with my final poem and
for that and the smiles on others’ faces, it was worth it. The co-ordinator,
minister, welcomers, caterers, washers-up, servers – just everyone - worked so
hard, I don’t know where they found the energy? My task seemed easy and
enjoyable compared with theirs and they even gave me dinner and I met three
people I knew, but everyone was so friendly anyway. This was the first time I
had been involved in anything like that at Christmas, but it will not be the
last. I then went to my lovely friends’ home for tea, so the day was perfect!
Having seen the number of people being catered for, I knew I did NOT want to
be on sprout duty next year(!), so I started writing more Christmas poems. I
shared these with a friend who has been a Religious Education Teacher for many
years and she said, ‘please write more, there is so little of this around?’. I
also took advice from another friend who has taught in Sunday School for many
years.
One tiny step led to another tiny step … this is how you come to be reading or
hearing them now.
Mags.