
Christmas Past: The Afterglow
©2012 Susan Noyes Anderson
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash
One melancholy sight to see:
a brittle, barren Christmas tree.
The lights that twinkled are no more,
pine needles lie upon the floor,
I am delighted to make these holiday poems available to you as gifts from my heart to anyone willing to accept them. In that spirit, may each poem about the holidays bring a bit of 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 also click specifically on Christmas Poems, Easter Poems, Patriotic Poems, and Thanksgiving Poems. (Please email a request for permission before using and 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, simply read each snippet sample (usually the first four lines) to get a feel for the poem. When you find something you like, click “CONTINUE READING” to view the entire poem.
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash
One melancholy sight to see:
a brittle, barren Christmas tree.
The lights that twinkled are no more,
pine needles lie upon the floor,
We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing,
for richly He’s blessed us, in years now gone by.
The warmth of our hearth and the love of our family
are more than good fortune; they’re gifts from on high.
You are sunshine in the morning
and the northern star at night…
the clouds that give me warning
when the storm is out of sight.
The gift is blood and sacrifice
to free us all from sin.
The prize is God’s own kingdom,
ours to shun or enter in.
Today we celebrate our troops,
whose valor must be praised.
Our nation is the legacy
of heroes, born and raised.
What song shall I sing for my mother? What key?
Which chords own the notes that will set her joy free?
Was psalm ever born that could raise her hopes high
as the million bright stars she has hung in my sky?
My mother taught me how to play
each note to form a song.
She showed me how to hold the bow
and keep my down stroke strong.
Leather sandals, dusty feet,
soles worn out in service.
Lessons taught, lessons learned;
stilled souls waiting, nervous.