December 15, 2015
Vol. 18, Issue 4
Vol. 18, Issue 4
It’s all about…The Lamb
Maude Carolan Pych/Quarterly Poetry Letter
“Worthy is
the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches
and
wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” Rev 5:12 NASB
It’s all about…The Lamb is a quarterly publication for followers of Jesus,
the Holy Lamb of God, and people who enjoy poetry. The purpose is to magnify our
Lord and Savior and inspire an ever-deepening relationship with Him, the lover
of our souls.
A-Poem-a-Day Until Christmas
I’ve been posting a Christmas poem on my blog every day
since the end of November. My objective is to provide an opportunity for a
brief pause amid the hustle and bustle to reflect poetically on the traditions,
the joys and the true meaning of the holiday. Today’s posting will be included
in this publication. To access other Christmas poems, check the archive on the
blog. Return to the blog tomorrow and until Christmas for future holiday
postings at: http://maudespoems.com.
A Holiday Event at the Ant
 |
| Cathy Vita, Victoria Warne, Maude Carolan Pych Performing at the Ant last December |
Last December, I
was the featured poet at a special holiday event at the Ant Bookstore &
Café. Well, I’ve been invited back and the musicians have been invited back
also. It will be a joyous evening of poetry, music and homemade Christmas
cookies…and it’s all free! Come, join our celebration!
The program will start at 7 p.m. The Ant is located at
345 Clifton Avenue, Clifton, NJ.
The musicians who will
be performing at the event are Victoria Warne and Cathy Vita. Victoria is a
singer/songwriter and leader of the Victoria Warne Band. She has played in many
local venues and has toured internationally and recorded two CDs that blend
blues, rock, and jazz elements. Her many past collaborators have ranged from
Spyro Gyra’s Julio Fernandez to jazz great Billy Eckstine. She’s a resident of
Clifton. Joining Victoria will be guitarist Cathy Vita of Totowa.
A special thanks to Jim and Emily Gwyn who arrange and host monthly programs at the Ant.
Featured Poet:
Barbara R. Williams-Hubbard
 |
| Barbara R. Williams-Hubbard
I received a
Christmas card in the mail from my poet/friend Barbara Williams-Hubbard. It
included two poems. I called her this evening and asked permission to share one
of them. It’s titled, “Announcing…”
By the way,
congratulations to Barbara for her 33rd year participating in The
Cathedral Choir’s presentation of “The Messiah” by George Frideric Handel at
Hawthorne Gospel Church, Hawthorne, NJ, on December 5th.
The poem of mine
that I will include here is my Christmas poem written two years ago, “Before
the Journey”.
The poems follow:
|
ANNOUNCING…
The bells of
Heaven rang
when the angels
sang
announcing that
the Lord
had come to earth.
The stars were
twinkling bright
on that glorious
night
when shepherds
heard the words
of Messiah’s
birth.
With candles all
aglow
and songs of “Silent
Night,”
on our way we go
to carry forth the
Light
that Jesus came to
bring
in this dark world
of sin—
the love of God
reached down to us.
In His peace, new
life begins.
© Barbara R.
Williams-Hubbard, 2015
BEFORE THE JOURNEY
Sitting
quietly in the dim glow of an oil lamp
trying
to get comfortable
in the
sturdy wooden arm chair
made by
her carpenter husband
Mary
rests both hands
upon
her taut, round stomach
and
smiles at the gentle rumbling within—
The Son
of God in utero
Although
this is centuries before sonograms
Mary
knows her babe is a boy child
and
that they are to name Him Jesus—
for an
angel told her so
Young and
bewildered, she wonders
what
her holy Son will look like and be like
if
he’ll want to work with wood
She
wonders about the cosmic plan
set in
motion by her “yes”
and how
a savior saves
She dares
not dwell too deeply
upon what
lies ahead
and why
so lowly a maiden as she
would
be highly favored
by the
Lord her God
but she
trusts Him
…and she’s
obedient
Joseph
is a good man—
She
watches as he sands smoothly
the
fine cradle he is building
and appreciates
that he stands by her
shielding
her from questions, innuendos
finger-pointers
and gossip mongers
Their
donkey is tied outside
the
humble dwelling in Nazareth
She
hears it braying and nuzzling at the door
It’ll
go with them tomorrow
on
their journey to Bethlehem
where
they must register
for the
census
She
sighs, thinking of the long
arduous
journey
especially
in her condition
Well, I’d better get some rest
she
tells Joseph
as she rises
awkwardly from the chair
and carries
the lamp closer
to
where her husband is working
I’ve packed a bundle of swaddling clothes
…just in case
Maude
Carolan Pych
Comments
are always welcome and appreciated. If possible, please post them directly to
the website.
Look
for the next edition of It’s all about…the Lamb, March 15,
2016.
A FEW CLOSING WORDS…
Dear Reader/Subscriber,
The
surest way I know of to have the merriest Christmas, the merriest life and the very
merriest eternity is to have the blessed assurance that the Holy Lamb of God
has a place of honor in our hearts…
O! How He
loves ewe and me! Let’s love Him in return.
Have a
blessed Christmas,
Maude
After God’s Own Heart Publishing
P.O. Box 2211, Woodland Park, NJ 07424
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