Christmas poems

That would be a great idea - I beling to a poetry club and we all bring one we've written and one that we love.

Oh yes a bit hard for kids. Just being chatty. Maybe we should have a poetry thread in the book bit and discuss a poem. is that a good idea?

It's a great poem, Jess, one of the most accessible of TS's poems, but for this purpose? I'm not sure.

Does anyone else like the TS Elliot?

No - it's on the Welsh border.

Mishap is that the one in Temple Balsall?

Did you have a listen to the Lindisfarne song?

Sounds marvellous - as does the church! Christmas

Thank you so much - these are brilliant ideas.

Yes - the event is being held in the Knights Templar church next to my cottage. My community choir is hosting it - they will be singing the bulk of the programme, and there will also be a female vocal quartet (of which I am one), the village band (with the postmam at the piano!), and children from the village school both singing 2 items on their own and joining with the adults in some songs too. Oh, and of course the poems. There will be bells to shake and mince pies and lots of jollity! All in aid of the community larder to provide fresh food for Christmas for families in need. And I will be conducting on crutches - interesting! I will have to find some tinsel for them!

Lots of good suggestions. I had a quick flick through the odd anthology and found endless reams of sentimental tosh that I wouldn't dream of inflicting on anyone let alone primary school children.

Here is a link to it. I find TS rather inaccessible (i.e. too hard) usually (apart from the Cats) but this is brilliant and not too long.
www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=7070

The Coming of the Magi by TS Elliot
Always bring tears to my eyes. Still in copyright I think, so we should not cut and paster I suspect.

What the donkey saw.....U.A. Fanthorpe

The little grey lamb....Archibald Beresford Sullivan

Dylan Thomas's "A Child's Christmas In Wales" is a story but very poetic in style. Has anyone heard or read this?

www.bfsmedia.com/MAS/Dylan/Christmas.html

Have gone all tingly and goose bumpy after reading those,especially liked the Donkey and ariadne's The Breadmanxxlove nellie

That well known Christmas poem, 'T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house............'

Mishap is it you that's got the Knights Templar church? Are you having this there?

Here you go!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg_dsk7u26A

Mishap it's the lyrics from a song by Lindisfarne, I have always thought the words rather appropriate for modern times.

The song is called Winter Song, will look for a link.

Thank you all very much for your wonderful suggestions - I am most grateful.

Phoenix and Vampirequeen - could you please tell me who wrote the poems that you have suggested? Thanks.

It was from a book called "Christmas at Plum Creek" and is available on Amazon!

I once heard someone read from a "Little House on the Prairie" book about their Christmas and it was charming and very appropriate for children. It might be worth a look for it?

No matter whether you believe it or not, it's a marvellous story. The whole lot of it. From magical beginning to triumphant end.

I love that one vampire queen. (the donkey one) "I could see the baby and I
Would be going places together." So clever and so beautiful. And sad.

every child should hear it