Christmas Carol

A carol (excerpt) by British poet Ann Gray:

”We sit down together at Christmas,
we toast those who cannot be there,
throughout the laughter and plenty
we all know there's one empty chair.

Let's open our hearts then, this Christmas,
look out for those who're alone,
Lay one extra place at the table,
throw open the doors of our home,

because there's frost on the grass in the orchard
where songbirds have gathered their choir,
snow colours the hawthorn, the holly,
and we've heaped up the logs on the fire.”