From “Christmas Baubles” by Kate Williams in Christmas Poems, compiled by Paul Cookson:
Baubles
fragile, fire-bright
hanging, hovering, quivering
reflectors of tiny glinting tints
tree treasures
From “Turn the Handle” by Julie O’Callaghan in The Twelve Poems of Christmas, selected by Carol Ann Duffy:
Once I turn the handle
I am in the dream-time-zone of winter
yakking about happy festive topics
while pushing beautiful cakes
carefully between my choppers.
Robins hop out of harp notes
holding tinsel in their beaks
for the chandelier.
I make the acquaintance
of a large spruce tree
loaded down with baubles and gauds:
its needles point toward
the glittering snowdrift
at the base of the french doors.
I toss a frozen bombe into my gullet.
Sparklers explode from my ears.
The man sporting a holly wreath around his neck
has called for a game of charades.
If you are a Christmas Mummer,
crawl out from under the piano.
You are granted only one
spangled room in your life.
Turn the handle.
Step inside.
From “Christmas Glitter” in Living Christmas Every Day by Helen Steiner Rice:
With our eyes
we see the glitter
of Christmas,
with our ears
we hear the merriment,
with our hands
we touch the
tinsel-tied trinkets,
but only
with our hearts
can we feel
the miracle of it.
