A VERY BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR READERS
Jo & Co at a Rotary Christmas Lunch for the Elderly
Both Colin and I wish you all a very, blessed and happy Christmas. It is a challenging one for me with illnesses and a death in the family so very close to Christmas.
That must not stop me from thanking you all for your readership support over the year and I have so many lovely memories of Christmas Days of the past as I am sure you all have.
It’s because of that I want to share this poem I wrote of a Christmas morning when I was a child. I am the last of nine children of the Watler family and sadly I am the only surviving child of Blanche and Roddy my Mother and Father.
I hope you enjoy it and hopefully it will bring back to each of you some lovely memories of Christmas when you were a child.
CHRISTMAS MORNING OF YESTERDAY
It was no ordinary Christmas morning for me
As I opened the bedroom door to have a peep.
Just so excited and eager for the sun to rise
So I could quickly claim my Santa surprise.
So quietly I closed the bedroom door
Returning to my bedroom as I said before.
“Just a minute or two to go,” I said,
“I wouldn’t even go near the bed.”
As the excitement started to build in my mind
Just wondering what toy I would get, what I would find,
It seemed like hours and hours had past
When suddenly I heard the sound of music at last.
It was sweet music coming from a small band,
As they walked into our garden of all white sand,
Playing their maracas, guitars, drum and saxophone.
We all sat on the porch rail and joined in the tune.
Now this was Christmas morning of yesterday
And I wouldn’t have it any other way,
With James Thomas, Willard Connor, Delhart and Elon Parrs.
No need for other musicians to come from afar.
When they would sing Glory, Glory, Hallelujah
It made the hairs on my head start to crawl,
And the hip, hip, hurrahs came from under their lungs
No complaints from anyone as they joined in the song.
They sang, “England got the money and Jamaica got the rum.”
That was their favourite marching song.
And with another “Hip, hip, hip, hurrah!”
They marched on their Merry Christmas way.
As I looked in the living room to find my toy
I was so excited and so full of joy
Not knowing exactly what I would find
I really can’t explain what was on my mind.
And guess what I found that charmed me so much?
A big brown teddy bear so soft to touch,
I hugged it and kissed it and cuddled it too.
It’s was what I’d longed for all the year through.
I never had a teddy bear before just a dolly I think.
She had a lovely smile on her face and eyes that winked. I cuddled that doll both night and day
And loved her in a very special way.
Back to the living room and to the gifts on the floor
Was this big cuddly teddy bear really mine for sure?
“It’s yours all yours.” My mother said with glee
“Take it as a gift from Santa and me.”
Our neighbour played Christmas Carols all year round
From her “Victrola” came a real familiar sound,
And whilst Hark the Herald Angels were singing
Above and beyond the Church Bells were ringing.
They were calling us to celebrate Christmas morn
This was the day the Christ Child was born
We sang, “Away in a Manger No Crib for a Bed,
The little Lord Jesus lay down His Sweet Head.”
So off to Church you should have seen us walking
As we shared all our thoughts laughing and talking.
New dress and shoes was the usual trend,
We were hoping the day would never end.
But it did – Yesterday …. A long time ago!
FROM JOAN EVANGELINE (WATLER) WILSON
