Teachers' Christmas carols...

Away in a classroom, no time for a rest,
A teacher, so weary, still tried her hardest.

The head in her office looked down from her perch

to see her poor staff member left in the lurch.

The teacher is crying, the children run riot

but the head does not notice the distinct lack of quiet.

We love thee, dear headteacher, look down from above

and give us some respite for the sake of our love.

Be near us at breaktime and beg us to stay

working hard in the classroom until the end of the day.

Bless all the dear children in our tender care

by giving us a workload which all will deem fair.

Hark! the little angels sing

"Did we hear the break bell ring?

A piece of cake, and some crisps too

Will keep us going all day through."

Joyful, all you children, rise

Join the queue to eat mince pies;

With the teachers all proclaim:

"Break will never be the same."

Hark! the little angels sing

"We're sure we heard the break bell ring."

Our head, by all the school adored

In her lessons, never bored.

Late she comes, to teach us last:

the afternoon is almost past.

Dressed in her best, a sight to see

she lets us see she is Queen Bee.

Hark! the little angels sing

"We want to see her diamond ring."

Hail! Inspector Ofsted comes

to see if we can do our sums.
Work and strife is all he brings
Flying on discouragement's wings.
Stern he lays his laptop by
Stern he frowns up at the sky
Stern he judges all our work:
"It's plain to see that all have shirked."
Hark! the little angels sing
"We're so glad that you're going."

Disappearance on Christmas Eve

The day had drawn on when my Mama announced
She had to go out: and so off out she flounced,
Leaving us children to fend for ourselves
My mama went off with a party of elves.

And how do I know? Well, I’ll tell you the tale:
I know, when you hear it, I’ll see your face pale
When you hear of the horrors my mama endured
To ensure that our table was laden with food.

It was Christmas: outside all were merry and jolly
as they chattered off home with their fir trees and holly.
But our pitiful house was filled only with fear
of starvation and cold and a miserable year.

Mama had just fed us our small bowls of gruel
when, stripping her apron, she said, “what a fool
I have been! Just stay here and wait for the morn:
be sure that at Christmas you won’t be forlorn.”

Then stepping outside, she waved once, and again
and out of the darkness, the cold and the rain
there appeared an old farmcart, filled right to the brim
with elves: wearing green, and with face-splitting grins.

“You’re welcome!” they cried as Mama stepped on board
“We’re needing a meal.” Then, grabbing a cord
they tied her up tight, as trussed as a hen
and laughing quite evilly, vanished again.

We wondered, we worried, but what could we do?
‘Our Mama knows best’ is but all that we knew.
We slept as we huddled together that night:
the next morn we awoke: but oh - what a sight!

The table was laden with meat, cheese and cakes,
puddings and pasties – all manner of bakes.
I never did hear of the horrors endured
to ensure that our table was laden with food.

Christmas past

1982 Patersons in Kenya: German traditions on Christmas Eve, sharing presents, fun and laughter in the kitchen with Anna.
1983 Ivory Coast, with my brother Matthew
1984 With Richard's sister Sarah at Naro Moru
1985 And again at Naro Moru, in a rainstorm, camping in a tent in the garden. Not great.
1986 With Stan and Tami, Byron and Lisa, sharing secret Santa presents and the Christmas story.
1987 In Nyeri: Christmas Eve at Jim and Janet Dillards, Christmas Day at Ann and Clyde Berkeleys' house. Jim and Danyce Gustafson came to stay too.
1988 In Nyeri again: Christmas Eve at Jim and Janet Dillards, Christmas Day at Debbie and Rusty Pughs.
1989 Nyeri again, with all our friends.
1990 Nyeri again.
1991 In Loita Hills at Byron and Lisa's, with Peter and Tammy Russell and Lisa's parents
1992 In Nairobi with Joe and Evelyn Rinella, and their daughter Adrienne
1993 In Nairobi with Chris and Dan Henrich and their children Caren, Sam, Mike and Andrew
1994 In Nairobi with Robyn and David Watkins, Elissa, Michael and Christopher
1995 In Nairobi with Martin and Amanda Geake and family
1996 In Nairobi with Peter and Tammy, Skyler and Chase Russell
1997 In Nairobi by ourselves
1998 In Nairobi with Ken and Jane Wathome
1999 In Nairobi with Max and Hanna Collison, Tim, Katrin and John, and Dr Maurice
2000 In Rugby with Angie's parents, brother Matthew and sister Isabel
2001 In Rugby with Angie's parents, brother Matthew and sister Isabel again
2002 In Rugby again
2003 In Guernsey, by ourselves at Valerie Fox's rented barn cottage.
2004 In Guernsey, at Renee's, with her grandson Duncan and son Glen, Martin and Sarah Thornton
2005 In Guernsey, with Renee at Bryan and Tricia Pill's house
2006 In Guernsey, at our house with Renee, the Pills, and Martin, Sarah and Matt Thornton
2007 In Guernsey, at our house with Ian and Jane, Tom, Josh and Lyddy Langlois
2008 In Guernsey, at Ian and Jane Langlois' house.

On the hillside

Shepherds huddle with their flocks of sheep upon the hills,
The air is cold, the night is dark; this is not the time for thrills.
This is no time for gluttony, for feasting till they burst
This is a time of longing, of craving and of thirst.

Long have these folk awaited a saviour for them all
‘Tis in the long night watches that they listen for the call
To hear the news they yearn for, a sounding of the trumpet horn
Instead an angel tells them that a baby boy is born.

This is no kingly coming, with noise and pomp and power
Whose arrival is announced from every mountainside and tower.
A king who would deliver them from their occupiers’ hands:
Instead it is a baby before whom they cannot stand.

For into tiny Bethlehem those shepherds hurried then
To see that little babe who is the Rescuer of Men.
As they kneel before that manger wherein the Christ child lies
A wondering world can see Him through those humble shepherds’ eyes.

It's Christmas

Tinsel and glitter, razzle and sparkle
Lighting our lives in the midst of the dark.
Silver and gold of the fairies and angels
Moonlight that glints on the snow in the park.

Cinnamon and cloves with the smell of spiced fruit
Warming our bodies with promised delights
Mulled wine and mince pies, nutmeg and ginger
Sing to our souls of the coming of Light.

Mysterious parcels in brightly wrapped paper
Colourful cards come from near and from far.
Stockings hung next to a cosy warm fireplace
Eager eyes hoping to glimpse that bright Star.

It’s Christmas, it’s Christmas, we’re impatient with waiting
It’s hope, love and joy all mixed up in one.
We love all the feasting, the giving, celebrating,
Enjoying this time when we have so much fun!

Christmas Wishes

We wish for all kinds of things at Christmas: these wishes are somewhat different…

I wish I’d been a friend to her, that humble teenage mother
We’d share our laughter and our joy, our fears with one another.
I would have given all I owned to help her make that journey
As she obeyed the word of God , which fulfilled all her yearnings.

I wish I’d been a shepherd boy upon those hills so cold
I’d huddle close up to my sheep and guard them in the fold.
I wouldn’t be so terrified if angels then appeared
I’d laugh and shout and dance with joy: I wouldn’t think it weird.

I wish I’d been a learned man who lived in foreign lands
Who used his brain to study stars, not fight in mighty bands.
I’d pack my bags, gather my friends and make that journey far.
I’d keep my gaze through all those days upon that travelling star.

I wish I’d lived in Bethlehem just near that lowly stable.
I would have rushed on over there as fast as I was able.
I know I would have marvelled at the wonder I would find
The tiny babe a mighty King: the Saviour of mankind.

New Life at Christmas

The nights are dark, the days are dim,
The hearts grow ever weary
And so we turn to gaze at Him
Who holds us all so dearly.

How could this tiny baby boy
Have come to mean so much?
It was not just His mother’s joy
It is His gentle touch.

He came to set us all quite free
From guilt and shame and harm
If our blind eyes could only see
The love and peace and calm.

This is my prayer at Christmas tide
For all of us on earth
That we kneel at that manger’s side
And know that wondrous mirth.