Merry Christmas!

Happy Christmas Eve! I usually publish Fra Giovanni's beautiful poem, Take Joy, which you can find here. But today I want to sing a farewell to my mother, who died in February of this year. She was not a religious person, but thrived in the joy of nature. I think this stanza from The Holly and the Ivy would please her very much.

The holly and the ivy,

When they are both full grown,

Of all the trees that are in the wood,

The holly bears the crown:

O, the rising of the sun,

And the running of the deer

The playing of the merry organ,

Sweet singing in the choir.

Joyful Christmas to you all!