Archive for the 'Poems' Category
Chinese Proverb: Peace in the World
Chinese New Year, Heart of a Mother, Heart of a Woman, Heart of the Holidays, Poems, Tips & Trivia| No Comments »Chinese Proverb: Peace in the World
If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.
~Chinese Proverb
POEM: Vegan Christmas
Christmas, Heart of the Holidays, Poems, Thanksgiving| No Comments »Vegan Christmas
Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,
Nothing’s overnight baking, not Lamb and not Grouse.
Making plans for the morning, health-conscious are we,
Jotting it down, while sipping White Green Tea.
We’ll start with Wheatgrass – a 2 ounce shot,
Toasting healthy bodies with no meat in the pot.
Most thankful are we as we pause to say grace,
For not getting caught up in the holiday rat race.
Sparkling Pomegranite Juice in a wine glass,
Light up the stove – we’re cookin’ with gas!
Pita chips and hummus are starter pre-meal,
Carrots, Jicama, Bell Peppers – the natural deal.
Uncork the vintage Sauvignon Blanc,
Segura Viudas Spanish bubbly you can take to the bank!
Fresh garden salad, sunflower seeds and sprouts,
There’s enough for everyone – so no one pouts.
Simmer a pot of Cous Cous, or Basmati Rice,
Baked Butternut Squash would surely be nice.
Raw Sugar Snap Peas, and baked Yummy Yam,
Doing well avoiding Duck, Turkey and Ham.
Brown Rice Bread, Lentil Veggie soup, too.
Wow – without meat and dairy – there’s so much you can do!
Chocolate Tofu Mousse Cake – well-chilled,
With graham cracker crust, I’m not that strong-willed!
Organic Pumpkin Pie – served piping hot.
Sugar-free, you ask? I think NOT!
Author of Heart of the Holidays, Sheryl Roush, www.SparklePresentations.com
Christmas: In Three Words
Boxing Day, Christmas, Hanukkah, Heart of the Holidays, New Year's, Poems| No Comments »In Three Words
Memories, Flashbacks, Celebrations
Kisses under mistletoe
Cheery red check
Children wide-eyes
Excited laughing children
Frantic rushing parents
Presents under trees
Receiving favorite things
Proposals and rings
Families traveling far
Driving loaded cars
Sweet hot chocolate
Candy cane treats
Apple Rum Cider
Nutmeg and Eggnog
Making plans early
Late night parties
Singing holiday tunes
Cherished friends re-un
Love abundantly shared
Long airplane flights
Snowed-in delays
Families lovingly reunited
Tears of joy
Cats batting ornaments
Dogs chasing cats
Lights flickering on
Angels atop trees
Sweet treats galore
Frosting sugar cookies
Dipping cheese balls
Avoiding fruit cakes
Exchanging holiday recipes
Joyous carols sung
Hope-filled stockings hung
Crisp snowflakes fall
Card sentiments mailed
Monthly earnings spent
Playing in snow
Sparkling garland shines
Shopping last minute
World peace rings
Packing it up
Storing it away
Waiting another year
Anticipating next year
Doing it again
– Sheryl Roush, Speaker, Author, www.SparklePresentations.com
Reprinted from Heart of the Holidays gift book by Sheryl Roush
Auld Lang Syne Song Lyrics
Heart of the Holidays, New Year's, Poems| No Comments »Auld Lang Syne
a Christmas & New Year poem
by Robert Burns
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,?
And never brought to mind??
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,?
And auld lang syne???
For auld lang syne, my dear,?
For auld lang syne,?
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,?
For auld lang syne.??
And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp,?
And surely I’ll be mine!?
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,?
For auld lang syne.??
For auld lang syne, my dear,?
For auld lang syne,?
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,?
For auld lang syne.??
We twa hae run about the braes,?
And pu’d the gowans fine;?
But we’ve wandered mony a weary fit?
Sin’ auld lang syne.??
For auld lang syne, my dear,?
For auld lang syne,?
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,?
For auld lang syne.??
We twa hae paidled i’ the burn,?
Frae morning sun till dine;?
But seas between us braid hae roared?
Sin’ auld lang syne.??
For auld lang syne, my dear,?
For auld lang syne,?
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,?
For auld lang syne.??
And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere,?
And gie’s a hand o’ thine!?
And we’ll tak a right guid-willie waught??
For auld lang syne.??
For auld lang syne, my dear,?
For auld lang syne,?
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,?
For auld lang syne.
POEM: Merry Christmas (the reason for the season)
Christmas, Heart of the Holidays, Poems| No Comments »Merry Christmas! (the reason for the season)
The month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
Why the PC Police
had taken away,
The reason for Christmas –
no one could say.
The children were told
by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men
and Angels and things.
It might hurt people’s feelings,
the teachers would say
December 25th
is just a "Holiday."
Yet the shoppers were ready
with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down
to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna,
an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing,
something quite odd!
Retailers promoted
Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by
Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging
their trees upside down
At Lowe’s the word Christmas –
was no where to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples
and Penny’s and Sears
You won’t hear the word Christmas;
it won’t touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive,
Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used
to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, Now Darden,
Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather,
On Kerry, on Clinton!
At the top of the Senate,
there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus,
in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word,
as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak
of salvation and grace.
The true Gift of Christmas
was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season,
stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate ‘Winter Break’
under your ‘Dream Tree’
Sipping your Starbucks,
listen to me.
Choose your words carefully,
choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS,
not Happy Holiday!
-Author Unknown, but greatly thanked
The Feelings of Christmas
Boxing Day, Christmas, Heart of the Holidays, Poems| 1 Comment »May the wonderful feelings of Christmas stay with you
long after the gifts are unwrapped, the tree is taken down,
and the ornaments are safely stored away.
May the once-a-year joy of Christmas return to you
in memories throughout the year,
each time tugging at your heartstrings…
each time bringing a smile.
What Christmas Means
Boxing Day, Christmas, Heart of the Holidays, Poems| No Comments »What Christmas Means
If Christmas means Sharing,
then let us share together our hope for tomorrow…
If Christmas means Giving,
then let us give one another strength, encouragement, and faith…
If Christmas means Love,
then let us love one another with the hearts of children…
in the Spirit of Peace.
Where Would We Be Without Jesus?
Christmas, Heart of the Holidays, Poems| No Comments »Where Would We Be Without Jesus?
He was born of a woman so that we could be born of God…
He humbled Himself so that we could be lifted up…
He became a servant so that we could be made heris…
He suffered rejection so that we could become His friends…
He denied Himself so that we could freely receive all things…
He gave Himself so that He could bless us in every way!
May Your Christmas know every blessing of His Love.
"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for all–how will He not also, along with Him, gracously give us all things?" – Romans 8:32 NIV
POEM: My First Christmas in Heaven
Christmas, Heart of the Holidays, Poems| No Comments »I see the countless Christmas trees,
Around the world below,
With tiny lights, like Heaven’s stars,
Reflecting on the snow.
The sight is so spectacular,
Please wipe away the tear,
For I am spending Christmas
In Heaven this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs,
That people hold so dear,
Bus the sounds of music can’t compare,
With the Christmas choir up here.
I have no words to tell you
The joy their voices bring,
For it is beyond description
To hear the angels sing.
I know how much you miss me,
I see the pain inside your heart,
But I’m not so far away,
We really aren’t apart.
So be happy for me dear ones.
You know I hold you near,
And be glad I’m spending Christmas
In Heaven this year.
I send you each a special gift,
From my heavenly home above.
I send you each a memory
Of my undying love.
Author Unknown
Honoring Our Military-A Soldier’s Christmas Poem
Christmas, Heart of the Holidays, Poems| No Comments »A Different Christmas Poem
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know.
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right, I’m out here by choice.
I’m here every night." "It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ‘ Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That’s a Christmas ‘Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘ Nam ‘,
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue… an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right."
"But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
PLEASE, send this out to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and a ton of credit is due to our U.S.service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let’s try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.
Toasts for Good Cheer
Boxing Day, Christmas, Hanukkah, Heart of the Holidays, Kwanzaa, New Year's, Poems, Quotations, Thanksgiving, Winter Solstice| No Comments »Toasts for Good Cheer
No matter what looms ahead, if you can eat today, enjoy today,
mix good cheer with friends today enjoy it and bless God for it.
~Henry Ward Beecher
May God grant you always…
A sunbeam to warm you,
a moonbeam to charm you,
a sheltering Angel so nothing can harm you.
Laughter to cheer you.
Faithful friends near you.
And whenever you pray,
Heaven to hear you.
~Irish Blessings
These things I warmly wish for you
Someone to love, some work to do,
A bit o’ sun, a bit o’ cheer,
And a guardian angel always near.
~Irish Blessings
May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain,
tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you,
those you love near you
and all your heart might desire.
~Irish Blessings
Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.
~William Shakespeare
At Christmas play and make good cheer,
for Christmas comes but once a year.
~Thomas Tusser
POEM: Make Me An Instrument of Thy Peace
Heart of a Mother, Heart of a Woman, Heart of the Holidays, Poems| No Comments »Make Me An Instrument of Thy Peace
St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
POEM: BE THANKFUL
Boxing Day, Christmas, Hanukkah, Heart of the Holidays, Kwanzaa, Poems, Thanksgiving| No Comments »BE THANKFUL
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary,
because it means you’ve made a difference.
It’s easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.
– Author Unknown
Turkey Dinner (humorous poem) by Ginny Ellis
Heart of the Holidays, Poems, Thanksgiving| No Comments »
Turkey Dinner (humorous poem) by Ginny Ellis
I had a dream the other night,
Thanksgiving Blessings by Melody Beattie
Heart of the Holidays, Poems, Quotations, Thanksgiving| No Comments »Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home,
a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today,
and creates a vision for tomorrow.
–Melody Beattie
POEM: The Last Piece of Pie
Christmas, Heart of the Holidays, Poems, Thanksgiving| No Comments »The Last Piece of Pie
It was I.
I cannot lie.
It was I
who ate the last piece of pie.
It lay there in the fridge.
I thought I would eat just a midge
but oh it tasted so good
and put me in such a happy mood.
Each bite made another bite.
I really did try to fight
the yearning for just a bit.
Oh, mother is going to have a fit
for the pie is all gone.
But, I cannot tell a lie.
It was the most scrumptious pie
and all I wanted was just a bit.
But once begun I could not cease.
Now the last piece
will bring me no peace
for I had finished the pie.
~Lillian Berman~
POEM: My Thanksgiving Diet
Heart of the Holidays, Poems, Thanksgiving| No Comments »My Thanksgiving Diet
A tiny piece of turkey,
a touch of mashed potatoes,
one tablespoon of gravy,
two cherry red tomatoes.
Thirteen little peas,
a quarter cup of yams,
no butter for my roll.
I’m glad there was no ham.
Impressed you are, you say?
I cannot tell a lie.
The last thing that I ate
was the entire pumpkin pie!
~Sandy Holman McVey
Copyright 2005
The New Year Poem
Heart of the Holidays, New Year's, Poems| No Comments »The New Year Poem
Flowing in the path of energy…
Magic concurrences meet me at each heart’s secret place.
Larger I grow to be a living home for the abundance slipping in place, in effortless grace.
Riches fill my opening spaces, breathing in the sparkling air of joy intensified.
Wings lift me up, soaring—as my wiggling toes send roots down, down into resonant earthy tones.
Each desire manifesting empowered movement, opening up paths that bring me closer to my heart’s home,
Where souls in alignment find sanctity in the unknown.
-Jane Ilene Cohen, Transformational & Intuitive Counselor, www.janecohen.net
