Quote: "May, queen of blossoms, and fulfilling flowers, what pretty music shall we charm the hours?"
- Lord Edward Thurlow
The jazzy arched blossoms with vibrant hues
Bouquet boutiques and the scent they diffuse
The terrain seems as an embroidered piece
God's stretched hanky as the Eden of peace
Nonchalant vibes of nature's musicians
Organize a dais for auditions
The carolling tunes make it a dreamland
All become a part of this music band
The redolence and the trills in full swing
Forging May stellar as the heart of spring
Place: 2nd
Festive firs are tumbling
bare of coloured glory.
Needles and fronds carpet
halls grey with silence;
carolling a distant joy.
Gifts rest in hibernation;
wingèd figurines lie swathed
beneath a glittered duvet
of prized iridescent tissues
adorning a winter casket
keeper of twelve days
festooned in priceless reverie.
Magpies bring in the dawn
singing fluted chorales
to flock, friends and passers by.
They know friendly faces
in their congregation
carolling, warbling along.
From ground to high sky
birds fill break of day with song
feathered hymns rejoice—
dawn chorus of wing and will
call all to join nature's voice
Magpie's carolling
ignites dawn with fluted bells
welcoming chorale
in day-break's cathedral dome
joyous songs of devotion
Willie Wagtail struts
tail flicks like a metronome
swagger in each step—
black-and-white little soldier
stakes claim to place of its own
Grey Fantail arc skits
with tail flits like restless fan
chaos ensemble—
air itself shakes in the dance
with its frantic flight patterns
Superb Fairy-wren
courageous, blatantly bold
blazes bright in blue—
outlandish flare on green leaves
with its beauty turned to dare
Eastern Whip-bird cracks
the lash to rouse sleepy heads
who missed the alarm
stumbled wobbly out of bed—
hoping no one would notice
The Welcome Swallow
adept aerial maestro—
dazzles watching throngs
with its acrobatic stunts
snatching at insects mid-flight
Traffic is slow.
In the drizzle
the holiday crowd complain and grizzle.
Magpies and currawongs are carolling.
The morning is silvery now.
A heavy sky bends down,
dropping diamonds
wetly on the ground.
Mounds and hills will grow emerald grasses.
Rain sings the treasure of life as it passes.
It’s an old-fashioned
Bell - a silver-tingling, it’s a-ringing
The choir’s singing
Their wrists a-swinging, up and down
It’s an old-fashioned
Carriage ride, abiding on the crunchy snow
Fresh and new
Flakes still falling, silently blowing
It’s an old-fashioned
Popcorn string, winding ‘round the pine
Some popped
Into cherub mouths, those kids grinning
It’s an old-fashioned
Reading of the ghosts of past, present, future
Chills from the draft
As the smoke pours into the hereafter
It’s an old-fashioned
Christmas Eve - carolling comes calling
To each decked out door
Gifts scattered under tree at midnight
It’s an old-fashioned
Church service - all eyes on Jesus
The babe’s in the manger
Kids - Bethlehem clothed
Bell - a silver-tingling, it’s a-ringing
Carriage ride, abiding on the crunchy snow
Popcorn string, winding ‘round the pine
Reading of the ghosts of past, present, future
Christmas Eve - carolling comes calling
Church service - all eyes on Jesus
Bring back the old-fashioned joy
A branch awaits the carolling.
The choir, each limb afire with song.
The cold and bare kindled with snow.
A branch awaits.
A branch awaits the spring of feet -
the twang of movement, soft or strong.
The strum of warmth, the beat of chirps -
a branch awaits.
A branch awaits the tango’s churl -
the gathering of more than one.
Will there be tolerance or not?
A branch awaits
the carolling, the spring of feet,
the gathering of more than one.
Narrow or wide,
a branch awaits.
12/11/2022
magpie 'tibicen'
you are indeed a 'flutist'-
your warbling delights
AUSTRALIAN MAGPIES
I woke to a cheerful sound at dawning
As warbling of three magpies greet my day.
They're sitting on tree branches this morning
And warble though the skies have turned to grey.
The magpies are dressed in black and white coats
No need of colours to enhance their charm.
For lavished on them is their silver throats,
A sound that brings to me a healing balm.
Still they continue carolling so sweet,
Three tenors sing in harmony of voice.
Though other birds may sing with chirp or tweet,
But magpies will always be my first choice.
May magpies with their silver throats sing on,
Bringing cheer to the land where they belong.
A Sonnet
Copyright © Vivien Wade 2015
No carolling minstrels
No sparkles or tinsel.
The Grinch has a lot of good points.
Just, “how bloody awful
To not have some baubles.”
Bah! Scrooge would be proud of this joint.
My carols are wails
During holiday sales
I'll do just fine here without her.
My sparkles are tears
Every damn year
That I tossed out her favorite old Conifer.
The carol singers at my door,
I greeted them with tone deaf song,
My hand outstretched, they shuffled off:
I didn’t get a quid – what’s wrong?
Do you hear what I hear? For Kim’s Carolling contest
our young faces
left sepia stains
on ivory paper
there were no flaws nor lines to draw
attention nor depress
just shiney rose hued cheeks which glowed
and purple garish dress
eyes did glint
though there was a hint
of apprehension in our smiles
a missing tooth displayed our youth
orange and umber whiles
wirehaired bodger (dog)
our much loved lodger
who raced with all us kids
came christmas carolling to inrease our treasure
as cash flowed in split lids
potatoe pie
with the chicken bits shy
we would play, spot the chunk of meat
chafing elastic to hold grey socks
ill fitting shoes to beat
hoola hoops, canakers
tomahawks
arms, embraced your bestest friend
knock on doors as mother asked
have you some sugar you can lend?
T rex blast on radiogramme
and the old grey whistle test
cheap lemonade and icecream vans
the seventies were the best
Are you ready for Christmas~have you lifted the tree
Are your lights through Christ shining bright~for everybody to see
(everybody should see)
Your good deeds and your gifts of love~that you're presenting to Him
And they'll praise God above for His Son~the gift He's given to them
Are you ready for Christmas~will you surprise Him this year
With the harvest of love and faith~bidding others come near
(bid all others come near)
To the banquet of Christ the King~don't let your candles grow dim
In the room of your heart prepared~because this day is for Him
Now are you ready for Christmas~carolling of His birth
Retelling Jesus' death to life~til He returns to this earth
(He'll return to this earth)
With His angels and trump of God~forever we'll be with Him
So share this joy with the world like the shepherds of Bethlehem
Colors of roses,
Bliss of cherries.
The carolling bells,
Smiling candles.
Herd heroes excited,
Sombre flowers lighted!
Snow angels flying,
Silky stars shaking!
Heavenly love,
Bloom at night !!
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