Some Poems to Share for Hanukkah, Christmas, and the New Year

As we near Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, people of many faiths celebrate the return of light, along with the mystical and spiritual essence of the season. It is a time of great introspection, and observation of traditions old and new. It is a time to gather with loved ones, and also to reflect in quiet solitude. In the spirit of the season, which has as many facets as a snowflake in the moonlight, we bring you a few poems to share with family and friends, or to enjoy alone, as we honor Hanukkah, Christmas, Solstice, and the New Year… Read the rest of this entry »

Some Thanksgiving Poems to Share with Family and Friends

From the Poetry Foundation:

Thanksgiving is America’s harvest festival—a time to acknowledge the help of family and friends, and a reminder of what a gift it is to be alive. It’s a day to overindulge in the here and now, even as we reflect on the past. In other words, it’s the perfect holiday for poetry! While a barn full of winter stock and a home overrun with family and friends does not fit with our popular conception of the poet as solitary brooder, these poems show that the occasion has provided poets—from Harriet Maxwell Converse in the 19th century to Elizabeth Alexander in the 21st—with plenty of food for thought. Whether you’re looking for a pre-meal toast, a scrap of American history, or a late night conversation starter, these poems should provide ample stuffing.

Toasts and Prayers

A Thanksgiving to God, for his House By Robert Herrick

Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing By James Weldon Johnson

The Thanksgivings By Harriet Maxwell Converse

Thanksgiving By Edgar Albert Guest

Family, Food, and Fellowship

Butter By Elizabeth Alexander

Family Reunion By Maxine W. Kumin

Perhaps the World Ends Here By Joy Harjo

Stomackes By Albert Goldbarth

Thanksgiving Magic By Rowena Bastin Bennett

Yam By Bruce Guernsey

Totem By Eamon Grennan

Read the whole article:  poetryfoundation.org

Image credit:  John-Morgan at Flickr.com