from Godfrey Birtill…
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light;
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more,
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
GOD 4
a ‘found’ poem by a local poet From Dirty Glory by Pete Grieg…
God
brightened
brilliant
and
shone incarnate, vital, assured, life
lightly treading the unknown road to the hidden
future.
“Hullo, folks!” he saluted them.
“Just a drop of
Heaven!”
Hope
had a splendid
special smile,
always a cheeky kid.
I can see the sense in
Christmas.
by a local lyricist 23.12.14
… imagine not knowing the reason for the season…
Who Put The Christ Into Christmas?
Putting up the tinsel
Putting up the trees
Drinking lots of wine
Eating lots of cheese
Hanging up the stockings
Hanging up the lights
Stoking up the fire
On dark cold wintry nights
But what I want to know
Is who put the Christ into Christmas?
Buying lots of presents
Buying lots of food
Leaving things to late
Getting in a mood
Spending all the money
Spending all the rent
Forgetting what the reason
For the season really meant
So what I want to know
Is who put the Christ into Christmas?
Christmas comes but once a year
A time of love and full of cheer
Christmas comes and Christmas goes
But what’s it all about – who knows?
Singing about Santa
Reindeers and the snow
Singing bout a story
That happened long ago
Singing about Carol
Whoever she may be
Roll out the barrel
Of merriment and glee
Still what I want to know
Is who put the Christ into Christmas?
May your Christmas be full of the peace that only Papa, Jesus and Holy Spirit bring,
And may your New Year be full of the joy that only Papa, Jesus and Holy Spirit give.
In the Oneness of the Godhead, the Three-in-One; in the complete unity prayed for by Jesus; and in the unity of the Spirit maintained through the bond of peace; Amen.
