Happy Holidays!

I hope you’re enjoying a special and happy time over these days.

Here is a seasonal poem for you, based on an old Irish mid-winter blessing, that sends you all good wishes.

Thank you, as always, for reading — and wishing you and yours the very best for 2013.

Mid-Winter Blessing

Father, mother, growing child, all blessings on you all,
bless your hearth, and bless your board, and every sturdy wall.
Bless the roof that shelters you, the cribs on which you rest,
bless the holding of your house, yes, all your lintels blessed.

Bless sun-fall on hands and face, brisk air on winter’s day.
bless trees that break the gnaw of wind, that heralded the way.
Bless the fine fields of your place, the hillock and the hedge,
bless holly bush, and laurel, the robin on the sedge.

Bless unlocked door that opens to strangers as to kin,
bless windows also open. Come, moon- and star-light in.
Bless the fiddle starting up, the carols soon to sing.
Bless news brought round by neighbours, all tidings that they bring.

Bless drink to fire the dancing, and fire to warm the skin,
bless feast laid out for feasting, let merriment begin!
Bless the joy here gathering, its life within us ring,
Oh bless the heart and soul of every living, blessed thing.

Bless the roof that shelters us, the cribs on which we’ll rest,
bless the holding of this house, yes, all its lintels blessed.
Blessed the hearth, and blessed the board, and blessed each sturdy wall,
Mother, father, growing child, all blessings on you all.