Winter is Upon Us

[Michele Monro]

"Advice is like snow --- the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind

[keithgood838]

STILL BURNING PASSION

The appearance of snow
on the roof of late
does not mean no
fire glows in the grate.

Keith

[Michele Monro]

Christmas is not a date - it is a state of mind.

Happy Christmas

[keithgood838]

Happy Christmas to you too, Michele.
Some folk need a prompt; I confess to being
a fully committed member of the 'any excuse' club:

CHRISTMAS STIMULUS

This time of the year can invigorate
the rostral anterior cingulate,
that part of the brain designed to create
a predisposition to celebrate.

Keith

[Marian]

Why have we got on to Christmas? It's still November!!!!
Oh well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em...

Goodwill To Men
- Give Us Your Money
by
Pam Ayres

It was Christmas Eve on a Friday
The shops was full of cheer,
With tinsel in the windows,
And presents twice as dear.
A thousand Father Christmases,
Sat in their little huts,
And folk was buying crackers
And folk was buying nuts.

All up and down the country,
Before the light was snuffed,
Turkeys they get murdered,
And cockerels they got stuffed,
Christmas cakes got marzipanned,
And puddin's they got steamed
Mothers they got desperate
And tired kiddies screamed.

Hundredweight's of Christmas cards,
Went flying through the post,
With first class postage stamps on those,
You had to flatter most.
Within a million kitchens,
Mince pies was being made,
On everyone's radio,
"White Christmas", it was played.

Out in the frozen countryside
Men crept round on their own,
Hacking off the holly,
What other folks had grown,
Mistletoe on willow trees,
Was by a man wrenched clear,
So he could kiss his neighbour's wife,
He'd fancied all the year.

And out upon the hillside,
Where the Christmas trees had stood,
All was completely barren,
But for little stumps of wood,
The little trees that flourished
All the year were there no more,
But in a million houses,
Dropped their needles on the floor.

And out of every cranny, cupboard,
Hiding place and nook,
Little bikes and kiddies' trikes,
Were secretively took,
Yards of wrapping paper,
Was rustled round about,
And bikes were wheeled to bedrooms,
With the pedals sticking out.

Rolled up in Christmas paper
The Action Men were tensed,
All ready for the morning,
When their fighting life commenced,
With tommy guns and daggers,
All clustered round about,
"Peace on Earth - Goodwill to Men"
The figures seemed to shout.

The church was standing empty,
The pub was standing packed,
There came a yell, "Noel, Noel!"
And glasses they got cracked.
From up above the fireplace,
Christmas cards began to fall,
And trodden on the floor, said:
"Merry Christmas, to you all."

[Marian]

When Christmas bells are swinging above the fields of snow,
We hear sweet voices ringing from lands of long ago,
And etched on vacant places
Are half-forgotten faces
Of friends we used to cherish,
And loves we used to know.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

[mariana44]

I think Pam Ayres is brilliant--I have never heard that Christmas one before---although the famous "I wish I'd looked after my teeth" sounds very apt to me now, after a painful--in more ways than one-visit to the dentist last week !!

[Michele Monro]

Marian - you obviously didn't read my posting about Christmas not being a date - but a state of mind - which means we can talk about it anytime. Tis the season

[Marian]

I did and I did join in with the seasonal spirit....but the 'state' I get into over Christmas maybe shouldn't happen just yet!
Hope you enjoyed the poems anyway.
Marian

[keithgood838]

I enjoyed the poems, Marian, especially the Ella
Wheeler Wilcox piece, which is new to me. Having spent
the afternoon clearing leaves from our lawn, I'm
reminded that the season is still seems late autumn:

A FALLEN LEAF

A trusting little leaf of green,
A bold audacious frost;
A rendezvous, a kiss or two,
Ah, me!
The bitter, bitter cost.

A flaunting patch of vivid red,
That quivers in the sun;
A windy gust, a grave of dust,
The little race is run.
Ah, me!
Were that the only one.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850 - 1919)

Keith

PS Is the forum free to include complete pieces
by contemporary authors? I always make sure
that the seventy years of protection have elapsed.

[keithgood838]

Hi Mariana
Pam Ayres's indisputable popularity is in inverse
proportion to her complete lack of critical acclaim.
Keith

[Marian]

Is it 70 years of protection for poetry and such then Keith, and only 50 years for the music industry, can't be right can it?!!
I was just about to add "I Wish I'd Looked After Me Teeth" especially for Marian, but now I've had to change my plan.

Marian

[keithgood838]

Hi Marian
The seventy years protection rule applies to literary,
film, dramatic and musical works. The 50 years one
applies to sound recordings and broadcasts. Even though
our forum is a members-only institution, one assumes
that it should be treated like any other publishing house
whose output is available for public consumption.
Sorry to open this can of worms, but it is something
that needs clarifying. I must say that I treasure this wonderful
facility, I enjoy the company of its members and I am grateful
for the opportunity to keep alive, and pay tribute to,
the memory of the great Matt Monro.
I worry about placing it in jeopardy. Thanks for your help.
Keith

[Marian]

Maybe I should remove Pam Ayres Christmas poem then. I just assumed if these poems are freely available on the internet it would be okay to move them around, but maybe I'm wrong. Can anyone clarify?

Marian.

[keithgood838]

Dear Administrator
As a follow-up to Marian's cri de coeur of 18 November,
are we free to post compositions by contemporary writers
on the forum in the manner of poems being exchanged
between friends?
Personally, I would like to post such items (John Betjeman's
poem entitled Christmas, for example), however I always feel
constrained by breach of copyright considerations.
I'm sure your guidance on this niggling matter will be generally welcomed.
Thanks.
Keith