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This week offers a -NEW- poem, along with selections from:
> Alfred Domett
> Anonymous
> John Milton
+ Bonus!

Merry Christmas!

This Christmas Adam (a.k.a Christmas Eve Eve) I have both a new poem and a Christmas edition of Poetry Pie. The poem has been in progress since around 2019 when I wrote the first two lines. I liked them so much that knew I'd have to finish the poem. Yet, I would only end up working on it once a year during the Christmas season, never devoting enough energy to see it to completion. This year I decided to finish it, and (praise the Lord) here it is!

Working on a Christmas poem stirred up a lot of thoughts concerning my own words and what I can even "add" to Christmas (find some thoughts here). It was challenging, but also safe. There's not too much that can go wrong with a Christmas poem, as long as you stick to the script: angels, the star, the manger, the weary parents, and the newborn King.

Excerpt for "Amid the Dismal Din of Cheerless Wind":

Amid the dismal din of cheerless wind,
The wintry silence of centuries sinned,
The longing angels looked through lowest night
And spied a sudden spring of newborn light...

Read full poem

Poetry Pie

Your weekly slice of Poetry

In addition to this new poem, here are some other poems that I've found this Christmas season. Read them now or at your luxury over your holiday rest time.

A Christmas Hymn

Alfred Domett (1811-1887)

This gem was found deep within a six volume poetry anthology (compiled by Edwin Markham), the only poem listed under this author's name. It is always a joy to find a new poem that may not be well known, especially one as pleasant as this.

Yet if His Majesty, Our Sovereign Lord

Anonymous (16th Century)

This poem is a fair bit convicting, contrasting the efforts we would show to welcome royalty into our home with the hospitality we showed to Christ when he came on Christmas.

On the Morning of Christ's Nativity

John Milton (1608—1674)

This is a full nativity ode, describing the glory of Christ's arrival with Biblical and mythic language (much similar to Lewis' poem referenced in the last edition of Poetry Pie). If you are not inclined to read its entirety, at least read the first four stanzas which stand out separately as an introduction to the poem.

Bonus!

Substack Poets

In the spirit of Christmas abundance, I've decided to link a number of Christmas poems that were written and published by a few of the wonderful Substack poets that I follow. Read them at your pleasure and take joy in the fact that even now, after two thousand years, poems are still being crafted in honor of this beautiful holiday.

Merry Christmas to all! May your ears be full of poetry, your mouths full or praise, and your bellies be full of pie.