Your poems

When life is hard

Seems such a mess,

Do something for Jesus,

He'll surely bless.

He'll lighten the load,

Take your burden away,

And turn the worst morn

Into a beautiful day.

So when all around you

Is falling apart

Look up to Jesus

Let Him speak to your heart.

Then let Him change

Your darkest night

Into wondrous moments

Of sheer delight.

So let's look to Jesus

When life is tough

For His grace and His strength

Is surely enough.

So for His birthday

This Christmas day,

Let's give Him our love

And follow His way.

Elizabeth Tomlinson, Richmond.

The Star

A star aloft the Christmas tree,

A star above the hills

And shepherds biding by their flocks

Beneath an Angel's wings.

A scented candle in the room

Frankinscence and myrrh

Brought by three kings to Bethlehem

To a baby there.

A holly wreath upon the door,

A cruel crown of thorns

Upon the dearest head of all

The day the Lamb was shorn.

A cross beyond the altar rail

A cross upon a hill.

Tears of sorrow, tears of joy

For Christ they'll never kill.

Each Christmas time a memory

Of that great sacrifice

To tell the peoples of the world

Of everlasting life.

Fran Vincent, Skeeby, Richmond.

Old Fashioned Christmas

Oh for the Christmases of long ago,

With all their happy memories,

Of hedgerow holly, berried mistletoe;

Of pine-coned, scented Christmas trees,

Of logs a-spluttering in the grates,

Of children sledding down the lanes;

The caroling of Christmas Waits

And frost upon the window panes.

Of church bells ringing, loud and clear,

Across the frosty, moonlit skies;

Of stockings hung, for Christmas cheer,

Of ginger wine and hot mince pies,

Of Christmas morning church - and prayer,

With churchyard sleeping, 'neath the snow,

And peace, goodwill, met everywhere

Wherever one may care to go.

Of children laughing round their trees,

Fumbling in their eagerness

To open presents on their knees,

Complete in all their happiness.

But changes come - as oft they do

And customs, also, pass away;

But my constant wish, for you

Is, God bless you on Christmas Day.

Bill Jefferson, Hurworth.

LAMENT

Oh why

Did I

At Christmas time

Tell you to fill

My glass with wine

And say: "Oh no, I do not think

"That I have had too much to drink."

If only

I had

Listened, I'd be with you

Now, instead

I died.

WI Cooksey, Newton Aycliffe.

Noel

The Babe was born in a stable

Among the humble and meek

Not for Him fine palaces

Worldly power He did not seek.

Go hang your shining baubles

On your Christmas tree so tall

But don't forget the Baby

Born in a cattle stall.

He came to save us from ourselves -

Our greed, our selfishness, our pride.

This tiny Baby in a stable

On the first Christmastide.

Mary Ellery, Peterlee.

A Thought For Christmas

At this time of Christmas

Spare a thought for others,

People in hospitals and retirement homes,

Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers.

Faces at the windows,

Waiting by the phone,

Spare a thought for the single folk

Living on their own.

Through quiet moments and lonely days

Reach out for those who depend

On friends and neighbours at this time

For there's light at the tunnel's end.

And please do care for the old ones,

Make some time to call,

A cheery smile, a card, a little help,

Just small gifts, but welcomed by them all.

Wilf Harris, Fishburn.

Goodwill

The season of goodwill is here

But will you stop and think

Of all the people who go without

With nothing to eat or drink?

The tiny children in foreign lands

Their bellies with nothing inside.

Their brothers and sisters who've gone without

Their mothers and fathers who've died.

The families who live with the fighting

Know nothing of your Christmas time.

So just count yourself lucky

That everything's going off fine.

Don't think about all of the suffering

The famine and war-stricken lands.

Just as long as you are all happy

Don't think about all their demands.

So don't complain this Christmas

'Bout what you did or didn't get.

Look about you and count yourself lucky

It's more than some others, I bet.

Alison Chisholm, Crook.

Benjamin's Story

On the hillside, it is night.

Moon and stars, a wonderful sight.

Shepherds' fires burn all around.

Sleeping sheep, not a sound.

Bethlehem town lies down below.

White homes reflect the moonlight glow.

Benjamin thinks of his family.

Sleeping there quite peacefully.

Now the night is getting cold.

Shepherds recall tales of old.

Benjamin's stories are best of all.

He is wise and very tall.

He tells of moving his flock around

To pastures new when they are found.

He saw many travellers on the road

Camels and mules carrying their load.

Rich merchants with their retinue,

Egyptians, Greeks, Persians too.

Roman officers with their men,

In the town of Bethlehem.

Singers and musicians cease their song.

As some prisoners trudge along,

Chained together in a line

To die in galleys or sulphur mine.

As he looked upon the scene,

Benjamin thought of what had been.

His people too had once been slaves.

They were freed by a God who saves.

The Scriptures said the time was near

When a sign would appear.

Then, as the night went slowly by

A shining light glowed in the sky.

The frightened shepherds gazed in fear

As the light kept coming near.

Then on their knees they fell down.

The light had stopped over Bethlehem town.

Benjamin said: "This mystery

Is something we must go and see."

"Perhaps this is the very day

"When we should choose which is the way."

Down the hill they quickly strode,

Then to the town along the road.

The shepherds watched them out of view.

Could Benjamin's story have come true?

Thomas Conlon, Kirk Merrington.

Winter Wonderland

Woolly jumpers, knitted out to suit the climate

Insides freezing, search for the electric blanket

Nightfall brings, ever decreasing temperatures

Trying to keep yourself warm takes drastic measures

Extra layers to offset the icy cold breezes

Ready for a continuing round of sneezes.

Wipe the window clean of frost, there's much to see

Over valleys, across mountains, beyond the sea

Nature snaps a different photograph each day

Delighted children find pleasure in games they play

Evenings bring the family closer together

Round the fireside, talking about the weather

Love bites, creates a warmth greater than burning coal

Acts of community spirit are in control

Needs fulfilled, bond gets stronger, when the sun is down

Darkness shines, wealth of unity in every town.

John Neal, Chester-le-Street.

A Winter's Day On The Farm

There were cats and there were kittens,

And they all were wearing mittens,

Cos the weather was so cold,

It was unreal.

There were dogs in tartan jackets,

Who were howling, making rackets,

Cos their fingers and their toes,

They could not feel.

There were pigs and there were roosters,

Who'd all had flu-jab boosters,

So trying to grunt and trying to crow

Was no big deal.

All the cows and all the horses

Used up all of their resources

Trying to warm their freezing hooves

And have a meal.

It was now so cold that all the sheep

Had gone looking for Bo-Peep,

Who had fallen in the snow

And hurt her heel.

And so my farmyard friends and kin,

It's so cold it's such a sin,

So it's Florida here I come,

And that's for real.

Derek Hamilton, Peterlee