Monday, December 19, 2011

My Christmas Poem

Christmas means many things to different people. As an atheist who is jaded by the 'Buy Now' consumerism that Christmas has become. I have my own thoughts about Christmas, possibly different than many people have.

I've thought deeply about the whole thing, and last year I wrote this poem to read at a Christmas Poetry Slam/Party. I read the poem (with a couple of changes) again at the same event this year.

The poem may not be much, but it says what I feel about the whole thing.


Merry Whatsit
Pagan rites and rituals
overlain by a holy Christian wash
and God Almighty consumerism rules;
eat and eat and eat
gimme, gimme, gimme! Gluttony
and avarice make for perfect
bedfellows, and that’s what it’s all
about. It’s hard to find space
for that tiny babe of doubtful birth,
but helping people & being nice
have their own rewards.
There’s an inner glow when you shine
your light on others, saint or sinner,
believer or not. And a child’s smile
as she plays with a huge box, empty
of materialistic burdens, makes
some sense of the Christmas myths.


Have a safe and happy time!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good one Carolyn. I'm an atheist too, thank God.

Carolyn Cordon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Carolyn Cordon said...

Indeed Mike, I'm planning on having fun family Christmas, sharing presents, with no expectations of God showing up at all. I'm glad the weather's going to be cooler, and if I'm wrong about God, and the predicted milder weather is because people prayed for it and God answered their prayer, well, thanks, but I'm more prepared to believe it's Nature that did it, not God. If I'm wrong, well I'm gonna feel silly when I die, aren't I?!