What Does Christmas Mean?
©2019 Susan Noyes Anderson
image by Walter Chavez on Unsplash
What does Christmas mean to me?
A mother in a manger bed,
a holy infant’s cradled head,
the shepherds and the wise men led.
That’s what Christmas means.
I am delighted to make these holiday poems available to you. They are gifts from my heart to anyone willing to accept them. My hope is that each holiday poem brings added meaning to someone’s Christmas or Easter, Valentine’s Day or Independence Day. Writing them has already brought added meaning to mine. (Poems for nearly every holiday are listed here. You may click specifically on Christmas Poems, Easter Poems, Patriotic Poems, and Thanksgiving Poems. (Please email a request for permission before using. Include full copyright information on every copy. For internet use, a link back to this website is required.)
FINDING THE POEM YOU WANT: As you scroll through this section, read each snippet sample (usually the first four lines). This will give you a feel for the poem’s content. When you find something you like, click “CONTINUE READING” to view the entire poem.
What does Christmas mean to me?
A mother in a manger bed,
a holy infant’s cradled head,
the shepherds and the wise men led.
That’s what Christmas means.
The week before Christmas, I wait at the post office,
mailing one last, precious thing.
The line isn’t quite out the door, but it’s close,
and our holiday mood’s taken wing.
What is a father meant to be?
A haven, a refuge, a sheltering tree,
a pathway to follow, a good name to share,
a standard to hold up and faithfully bear,
a teacher, a mentor, a gift from above
to guide us, to lead us, to lift us with love.
∞§∞
If this poem resonates with you, you might also enjoy Father’s Fan Club.
A mother’s love is bedrock and quicksilver.
It anchors her whole heart, then sets it free.
Forever bound, adorned in golden soul-strings,
she shimmers with eternal destiny.
I wonder just how Mary felt, when visited one day
by Gabriel, who understood the role that she would play
in bringing forth the Savior and nurturing with care
the precious little baby she would soon be called to bear.
I was a shooting star, my mother said,
a force as bright and bold as sun and sea.
Mom’s heart claimed me with joy that never fled––
her lightning bolt of untamed energy.
Because of Christ, we know a love
that fills the earth and sky–
a selfless and redeeming love
the world cannot deny.
Because of Him, what’s wrong on earth
will, one day, be made right.
His path is ours to understand:
the Way, the Truth, the Light.
We do not see thee;
we are blind, and yet
we feel thy hand.