Yule

December

#096

 

La Nochebuena Rhythm Box

Noches de parrandas con el aire lleno de melodias
Con sueños de días grandes con recuerdos
Para nuestros antepasados
¡Ay, qué cosa!
Viendo la gente con visions de una paz verdadera
La luna se brilla con amor
Y una letra cósmica de una conmemoración
Del Día de la Patria …

© Ángel L. Martínez 30 d 16
The Bread is Rising Poetry Collective

 

Nochebuena

Cuando tú escapas de los sonos horribles
Y el aire peligroso en la Manzana Podrida
En bueno tiempo al Camino Mohawk
Escuchando la montaña verde debajo del halcón
Bien bonito a Pachamama y a Obatalá
Cuando tú caminas un espacio sobre una timba y una rumba
Y cuando tú escribes un beso a amor
Una linda gran voz en el nombre de tu bisabuela Leocadia
Y aquí tengo yo mi fuerza principal de todo y de todas las cosas
Vamos con tu alma brava
Subiendo la bandera contra el sistema de esclavitud
Y contra el sistema que reparte el hambre
Y contra los que son contra los versos de amor
Oye abuelita de mi vida
Jardín de jazmín fue mucho tiempo atrás que vive mi abuela
Leocadia está presente
Con un palo de mango que nace en la tierra
Mi hermano Pedro Carlos fuego de mis palabras
Esta linea que yo te debo sobre mi corazón
Y así mañana y ahora me recuerdo de tu memoria
Pedro Carlos está presente
Y hoy me encuentro celebrando los tres sagitarios
En frente de la torre del Asiento de los Poetas
Cerca del Río Connecticut
Árboles y luego bosques con la familia
Y la poesía es mi barrio
En las paredes de Massachusetts, Vermont y New Hampshire
Esa linea es de mi amor
Una gran rosa
Con un cafrecito y un dulce de guayaba
Celebrando nochebuena con la música de Beny Moré con arroz moro y yuca y pollo
Es una linea de poesía en un ritmo de amor

Nochebuena

When you escape the dreadful sounds
And the dangerous air in the Rotten Apple
In good time to the Mohawk Trail
Listening to the green mountain under the hawk
Very beautiful to Pachamama and Obatalá
When you walk in a space between a timba and a rumba
And when you write a kiss to love
A beautiful great voice in the name of your great-grandmother Leocadia
And here I have my main force of all and everything
Come with your brave soul
Raising the flag against the system of slavery
And against the system that doles out  hunger
And against those who are against the verses of love
Hey grandma of my life
A garden of jasmine was long time ago that my grandmother lives
Leocadia is here
With a mango tree that is born on earth
My brother Pedro Carlos fire of my words
This line that I owe you on my heart
And so tomorrow and now I remember your memory
Pedro Carlos is here
And today I find myself celebrating the three Sagittarius
In front of the tower of the Seat of the Poets
Near the Connecticut River
Trees and then forests with family
And poetry is my barrio
On the walls of Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire
This line belongs to my love
A great rose
With a cafrecito and a guava sweet
Celebrating Nochebuena with the music of Beny Moré with Moorish rice and cassava and chicken
It is a line of poetry in a rhythm of love

© 12/9/16 Carlos Raúl Dufflar
The Bread is Rising Poetry Collective

 

Yule

I met her on a Christmas Eve
Her hair was blond and her eyes were blue
I asked her to come back to mine
She looked me over and said
Yeah yule do!

Paul Butler
Newham Writers

 

Yule

What a sad time this for our world today:
We gota get a grip to make them go away.
Just who are them; I clearly hear you say
They are those want to make us pay.

Pay for what we believe in at this time of year,
We also wish to believe this always without fear.
How can we get a better way to make them hear?
Not just at yule tide as Christmas time is here.

Why do they hate the love we wish to show?
Can we truly understand and can we ever know?
They know not love and how to make it flow
Just go you killing bxxxxxds please just GO.

Do not let them make us hateful too.
When you show you love me, I show that I love you.
They know not of love or of what is good and true.
They think the only love is the kind of lowest blue.

Let us not become so horrible to end a persons day,
Let us show each other there is a better way.
Let us hear each other as we hear them say:
Let the wicked leave us: make them go away.

We will not let them end the peace of our yule tide.
We will stand together as one in kindness: side by side.
We know that they will run but they can never hide.
We know it will be hard for us but will be worth the ride.

Happy Christmas,
Andy Bloom

 

Yule & Stockings

Many years ago I lived in the Far East as my dad was serving in British army.In my teens a had many bit parts acting and at this time of the year I was always in pantomime.As I was always flat chested and I had a boyish face they would cast be as the boy.Prince charming and all parts needing a young man were given to me.
All went well for some years till I became too tall for my tights and they split during the dress rehearsal.The stage manager called the make up boy and told him to make up my legs to match my short tunic.I stood on a chair while the manager held me steady to let the boy apply the make up.It kept on for the show and a fashion scout noted my long legs would be fine to advertise stockings.

His company gave me a contract for six shots over six months and they just used my legs as my face and shape did not fit me as a fashion model.Later they found my legs also did not fit the bill.The pay was good while it lasted but I always knew it could not last for ever.

The moral of this short account is that the past may have been good to us but the future is in focus at this time of the year.This is a time to remember all that is good in the world and to try to influence those places in our world where people suffer.

We are not all able to give but we can make our voices heard and seen in places like this.It's just not good enough to say that life may not be all we would wish it to be.All developing nations have to learn;  just as we had to, but it seem to take some so much longer these days.  Perhaps it all boils down to being a little more kind and considerate.

Happy Christmas

Monica Burns

 

Yule

The yuletide log
all crackling on the hearth
Carol singers footsteps
crunching on the path

Candles decorate
the Christmas tree
beneath whose branches
waiting patiently

sit presents
in an ever-growing pile
each one an epitaph
to long-lost style

A Roman helmet
a Crusader's sword
a pirate ship
a plastic treasure-hoard

A feathered headdress
and a blue-coat fort
while granddad dreams
of turkey legs and port

Old church bells ring
I hear the grey wolf howl
across this land
where Vikings once did prowl

The flames leap up
my soul begins to sing
the Wheel of Life
brighter than Sauron's ring

And though my words
may name me as a fool
I'm happy just to sit
and dream of Yule

Roy Birch
Stevenage Survivors

 

Midwinter Moments

Dark branches in the winter sky
I watch geese flying in a great V of swishing wings and honking calls
There is frost underfoot and a chill in the air
Yet something so warm and comforting in the heart of these midwinter moments

There is a great fire to be lit
The Yule log burns and draws us all in to a circle of light
The Wheel of life tangibly turning through these dark days

The cavern within awaits illumination
Shadows dance as our songs lift the layers - clearing space to receive life's gifts
The deep magic we see in each other's eyes

I bring bright holly with her red berries to my threshold
Entwined with ivy they weave the ways toward rebirth
I see dark branches as the winter sky glows red with promise
And the year turns

Lucia Birch 09.12.16
Stevenage Survivors

 

Soaring Voices (Virelay)

A weakened sun lightly fingers the early morn
Christmas wakes
Heralding the celebration, a saviour was born
For our sakes.

Through the darkened sky, a glittering star breaks
For his birth
Frankincense, gold and myrrh are a kings keepsakes
In his worth.

Messages ripple across the breadth of the earth
Peace fulfil
Spreading the Gospel with merriment and mirth
In goodwill.

Faith in the wondrous creator this babe doth instil;
Joy partakes,
With beautiful soaring voices, praising God’s will
Christmas awakes.

Jan Hedger
WOW

 

Yule

Yule logs to burn on the fire
Indoors, outdoors, let it burn higher
Yule log consist these days of choccy
That goes quite nice with a generous coffee
The winter solstice beaming so low in the sky
Not in the summer when it's generally high
Goddesses from many different places
All with elegant names and different faces
The longest night and the shortest day
Gave plenty of time to play in the hay
But now Yule is celebrated as Christmas
As the birth of Jesus and midnight mass
The giving of gifts to friends and loved ones
Years ago it was the reading of the psalms
It is amazing how one culture transforms
The original idea over many storms
Tirades and fights of what is right
Maybe one day they will all see the light
I love the gift of giving all the rest is lost on me
Maybe cause God has NO religion and we just want to be free

Sarah Frodsham
Stevenage Survivors Poetry

 

Yule

Times long ago, when pagans,
Worshiped trees gone by,
Bring in that heavy sack
So bland as stable,
Pure and bare,
Ivory notes of music,
Holy night so bright,
Angels sing out their righteous song,
Take yule log, keep warm, this night?
Snow will cover with blanket white,
Snowed in this winters dawn,
Bring peace to all mankind,
Sang the angels, on that night.

Sylvia Tracy 09/11/2016
Stevenage survivors poetry

 

Yule

Yule is around Christmas time and the new year
Yule is a time for giving and receiving things back.
Yule is a happy time and a joyful time as well.
Yule is good for everyone that celebrates Yule.
Yule can be spent with other people or even family.
Yule is through history which is good as well.
Yule can be a loud time or a medium noise time.
The year changes and the month changes as well.
Yule is a festive time as people put up the Christmas tree.
Young and old come together at Yule time or Christmas.
Yule is fun or joyous as well, if you want it to be.
Yule is celebrated as well by Jews or Christians.
I, myself do things over the Yule time which is good for people.
There are decorations on the Christmas tree over the yule time.
At Yule time people have food and drinks as well.
Yule has music and songs over Christmas or Yule.
Yule has flowers and leaves and green.
Yule can be a good or bad time depending on the person who celebrates Yule.
Yule isn't perfect enough and needs to be more perfect.
Yule rocks everybody who celebrates it.
I spend Yule by myself or with other people.
The Yule time maybe should have spirit to it.
Yule focuses people on what will happen as well.
Yule is often wanted or not

Chantal O'Flaherty 09/12/2016
Stevenage survivors poetry

 

Yule 2016

A big tall man in Hastings was walking by the sea,
He looked at all the people, and then he looked at me.
He asked if I’m a local…said he’d like to talk the same.
I said that he was was cheeky, as I did not know his name.

He told me he was harmless and that was very clear.
He asked if I could show him a glass of local beer.
I then told him to follow me and to walk this way
So on our path we went upon that merry day.

It's Yule tide now so we are singing as we walk.
It gave us a chance to have a little talk.
I found he was a banker who had fallen on bad times,
But he was really blameless of all the banking crimes.

We had a single beer each in one of the old Inns.
He enjoyed the old tall glasses but wished that they were tins.
He said to meet once again he would rather like.
I said I was so sorry and: "Now get on your bike!”

Merry Christmas,
Veronica

 

Yule....tide

My tide, sea tide, your tide
Christmastide.

Your side, by my side.,
Let's go for a ride.

Shall we slide
On spaces wide?

Do not hide
I'm by your side.

Come let us go
To where: I do not know.

I'll let you show
But the wind will blow.

Just let me see
Where we may be.

We'll stop for tea
By the Christmas tree

Monica Burns

Upon The Light Of Yule

In glow Oxford street hope and love down Carnaby Street
Away to the manger softly low
Yew tree in Kent stands up two thousands years
Red berries holly branches carols hyms
Ice caked baked decorations lulled cider
Merry Christmas tree fairy angel
Santa in the chimney gifting gifts Lord Jesus Christ
Christmas Yule log spark glories fire
Silent night rain or snow shine on Yule
Bringing spirit giving  receiving forgiving
London lights with Yule time spirit
Sparking delight in the faries slide
In the moon upon the hyms on midnight Christmas Eve

John Joseph Sheehy 

Solstice Cauldron

Yule;those dark nights
Fuel for the fire
The mystery in the flames
Those stories told in flickering light

Within the warmth of the fire
Promises a spring to come
Joy in voicing those songs of old

Take a draft from the cauldron
See the red berry
See the green holly
See birds of the winter dance a spell
Ice water stone well
Gather round to hear
The enchantment

It is our deepest Solstice secret
Circling Earth
Darkening sky
The Orb turns once again to come back around the sun and its
Just for you
Yule wonder
Earth's gift
Just for you.

Andrew Henry Smith 09/12/2016
Stevenage survivors poetry