A Selection of Yuletide Poems

Solstice
By Danielle Frézier

On the longest night
A glimmer of light

On the darkest scope
A glimmer of hope

Over a merry feast
A glimmer of peace.

************

Christmas Morn
By Hunter Cole

Just asleep
(Up all night playing Santa’s
Handy elf).

“Mommy! Daddy! Wake up!
Santa’s been here!”

“There are reindeer prints in the snow!
Rudolph got tired of waiting on the roof
‘Cause Santa put so much under the tree!”

Little feet make big noise
Running down the stairs.

We hear the squeals of delight
As they see the bounty.
“At least we remembered the batteries this year.”

Cats pouncing in paper
Children pouncing on toys
Hot chocolate for breakfast.

Now we pack the car
With pies and playing cards and books
To visit the local senior home;
The kids’ turn to be Santa’s elves.


*********

Midnight Mass
By Brenda Braene

Everything sparkles
The enormous trees on each side
of the altar
are decorated with angels and doves.

So many people
we only see once a year
packed into pews
like well-dressed dolls in a box.

One sister sneezes
another scolds.
I am eight
and want to be home.

I don’t want to miss Santa.
I put out his plate of cookies
before we left
just in case.

After all, he has a lot to do tonight.

Lovely carols
“Peace be with you”
Holding my sisters’ hands
As we sing walking home through the snow.



Brenda Braene’s blog is Poet Meets Muse, and she shares a website, The Three Braenes, with Bridget and Beatrix Braene. The three share a love of Jane Austen’s life and works. She has been previously published by Circadian Poems.

Hunter Cole loves the Maine woods. His first published poem was here at Circadian on Thanksgiving.

Danielle Frézier is at her best in the moonlight. She does not have a website . . .yet. She was previously published by Circadian Poems on Halloween and Thanksgiving.


Circadian Poems wishes you a peaceful and joyful holiday. We are on a break, and will return on January 2, 2006.

If you wish to submit a poem of 40 lines or less or an essay of 1000 words or less, please do so here.

Please read the guidelines found on this site before submitting. It is in one of the earliest posts in the archives.

In Your Cup

In Your Cup
By Michelle Miles


Give me the sun
Lemon yellow and bright
In your cup

Give me the moon
Silvery calm, round and full
In your basket

Give me the stars
Twinkling diamonds on velvet
In your palm

Give me the dawn
Blistering the sky orange
In your eyes

Give me the dusk
Warm gold and dusty pink
In your heart

Give me the world
Full of indescribable color
In your love

Give me all of you
You that means so much
In your body, mind and spirit

Michelle Miles writes in a variety of genres. She recently completed her first erotica novella, the first in the Coffee House Chronicles, to be released in summer of 2006 and is currently working on her second, NICE GIRLS DO. Visit her daily blog, Ye Olde Inkwell, at http://www.michellemiles.net/blog for all the latest news.

You My Best Friend

You My Best Friend
By Rachelle Arlin Credo

The moment I'm sad
You're always there to make me glad
The moment I'm weeping
You look for ways so I'll stop from crying

You console me when I'm lonely
You brighten my day when it's gray
You give me hope when I'm hopeless
And you lift my spirit when I'm in distress

You're always there to support me
To care, comfort and to point out the way
You've been the friend I can surely rely on
The only one that I can truly held on

And I know I could never find
Somebody like you who's one of a kind
'Coz you're simply the best
And you'll always be the greatest!


Rachelle Arlin Credo is a poet from the Philippines.
Her poetry has been published in various magazines and
online poetry publications. This is her fifth poem published by Circadian Poems.

Family Heirloom

Family Heirloom
By B.K. Birch

His face was swollen and red

His hands trembled until the first sip

"I'm dying my child,

it'll kill you too."

"Oh Papa, please don't,"

I begged him often,

"Save yourself,

Let go the drink."

He was too far gone

I failed to reach him

Consumed by his thirst

Destroyed by addiction

His body could not survive

He lies in eternal restI

left him with his kin

In a tranquil, wooded place

The sins of the father

Handed down with the memories

My destiny was foretold

With each drop he drank.



B.K. Birch’s publishing credits include Wildchild Publishing with two Editor's Choice Award wins, Copperfield Review, Penwomanship, Bygone Days, Mid-South Review and Emerging Women Writers. Her poetry has been published extensively in the U.S. and abroad. She also writes book reviews for Midwest Book Review and Curledup.com. She is the founding editor and publisher of The Scruffy Dog Review. Her website is http://www.bkbirch.com.

Life is a Storm

Life is a Storm
By Patricia Gallant

When will the raging ache in my body ease?
When will the rain of pain in my heart stop?
When will the storm in my soul cease?
When will the sunshine clear the clouds of my mind?
The thunder that is my life floods me with grief.
The stress drowns my spirit.
The winds whip me into despair.
The lightning shocks my brain.
The tempest torments me.
The deluge drops me into darkness.
I live as a town flattened by a hurricane.
There is nothing left but the oceans of tears,
The rivers of fear,
The sea of sadness,
The turmoil of life.
When will I find my island of relief
The place of peace and happiness
Where no storm dares to touch down?
(March 31, 2005)

Patricia Gallant is a mother of two daughters from Ontario, Canada. Her first poem was published in the Toronto Star Newspaper in 1978. She writes poetry when the mood strikes. She is currently working on a novel.

The Wait

The Wait

by Sandy Jones


In anticipation I wait for the end
of our time
Together.

When I am no longer plagued
by these feelings
Within me.

When your eyes no longer hold
mine captive
Reluctantly.

And your face no longer haunts
my dreams.



In anticipation I wait for my life
to be my own
Again.

When I stop struggling to catch
a glimpse of you
Everywhere.

When my heart can rest from its
pounding
At the sight of you.

And your touch no longer thrills me
into ecstasy.


Sandy L Jones writes paranormal fiction, poetry, and has plans for a children's inspirational series. You can visit her on her website www.sandyljones.com or her blog www.sandyljones.com/Blog This is her first poem to be published.

(My apologies to Sandy Jones -- Blogger will not support the format in which the poem was submitted -- I cannot change alignments or size within the poem)

A Fool in a Box

A Fool in a Box
by Sheryl Joy P. Olaño


I was a fool in a box,
A sheltered fool that hungered
To spring out and have a taste
Of the intoxication they called love
With a smile painted on my face
For I always thought it sweet

Not for long, my waiting was paid -
The box was unlocked
And out I burst
In vivid colors of joy

Yet before I could even
Touch the ground
Of the world I so craved,
Of a freedom I so envied,
Back I was pushed with
The truth of the door

And I merely bent to its will
Till I was locked up again
Still I lay waiting…crumpled,
But not lost
As this happened over and
Over again

For the feel, the sight
Of the open space
Fed me dreams


Sheryl Joy P. Olaño is a journalism graduate and now working as a junior editor in publishing company CannonCreek Asia Incorporated, where she deals with business news writing. She is also a contributor to the Philippine newspaper Sun Star Daily Cebu, www.poetrypoem.com, www.writing.com, ezine and goarticles. She writes essays, short stories, poetry and sometimes novels.

"Remember Me"

Remember Me
By Rachelle Arlin Credo


Remember me when I am gone away
Into the farthest land I could ever stray
Where the golden moments we shared together
Will only seem like dreams that can't be remembered

Remember me when the happy days we've known
Will all be forgotten and outgrown
When the songs we sang joyfully together
Will mean no more than a sigh of sheer despair

Remember me when the sunbeams will be dawning
And the tide of life will stop surging
But though the memories of our past fades away
Will you promise to still remember me?

Rachelle Arlin Credo is a poet from the Philippines.
Her poetry has been published in various magazines and
online poetry publications. This is her fourth poem published by Circadian Poems.

Poetry News

Tomorrow is the launch of Colin Galbraith’s new book, Fringe Fantastic. This wonderful, witty, ecstatic compilation of poems and photos is available here.

What a great way to start December!

Colin’s contributed both wonderful poems and terrific articles to this site. Best of luck to him!


Circadian Deadlines:

If you’re interested in submitting your work to Circadian Poems, click here.

In addition to always reading submissions with an eye to the poetry or essay slots, I’m looking specifically for the following:

Poems for Friday the 13th – yes, we have one in January! Poems should be 12 lines or less, due on Dec. 13.

Poems for Burns Night or Virginia Woolf’s birthday – both of these fall on January 25; deadline December 30. Again, poems of 12 lines or less.

Poems for Imbolc/Candlemass (Feb. 1) due Jan. 1 – preferably 24 lines or less.

Poems for Valentine’s Day – due Jan. 14 – 12 lines or less.


If you have any news on your projects, please send me information and/or a press release. Also, starting in January, I will be posting more news and information from other poetry sites, ezines, etc. I’m putting together a list of poetry sites so we can exchange information.