Positive Thinking - poem 171

Where can we begin? Tell the sinners, no sin 

Call a dripping tap - a waterfall

Tell the fat ones, no lie, they're looking thin

Speak well of all, tell the small ones they're tall

Tell all the frowners how you love their smile

Note in September, swear you remember

You'll find they smile in a little while

Send named Christmas cards, early December

How does a photographer make guys smile?

Think of favourite food, I think of cake

Keep awards on your walls, photos in files

That's how I smile 'though I've  made a mistake

If you can't find a good words for the bad dead

The mourners a mixture of angry and glum

Praise loving, forgiving parents instead

Say, see silver linings in each act done

When you've done your best, but failed every test

When thoughts headed north - but the words headed south

When you tried to speak well, but only spoke ill

Mistaken, badly taken, foot in mouth

When you say sorry, they're not forgiving

They say, 'Sorry's too late, wrong words are gone,'

Don't give up, mate, your life's still worth living

They're still cross? Their loss - it's time to move on

Everyone fell when they were a child

Some got the blame when they were good

Most were or knew teens who went wild

Some, sometimes failed, or feared we would.

Find somebody new, who hasn't a clue

Pretend you are older, wiser and know

As for each fall, you've seen them all

Just listen, nod, eye roll, laugh, smile, and glow

Never complain and never explain

The folk in old folks homes don't know your name

Your old boss gets Alzheimer's, he'll soon forget

The world's full of youngsters you've not yet met

When you are old, darling, if truth be told

Shrug, forget bad things said, by friends long dead

Old enemies greet you like long lost friends

The few left - so glad to meet you again!.

-ends-

copyright Angela Lansbury 2023 March 27th

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Angela Lansbury's books and chapters in anthologies are on Amazon and Lulu.com

Look for Angela Lansbury poet, Angela Lansbury travel writer, and my photo. Books include Poetry Workbook. Improve your English. How to be the Best Man. Grief and Us.

How to write a Christmas card poem + Comic Poem No 131 Christmas Crackers

CHRISTMAS & ANNUAL EVENTS

 1 To write poems for cards in advance, select an occasion, or series of occasions, such as:

Anniversary, Birthday

Christmas, Belated Christmas

New Year

Religious Christian/Other religion such as Jewish Hanukah/Secular

Make a small file to store your first drafts. Write down rhymes or rhythms or free verse ideas.

...

ANIMALS, PEOPLE, PLACES, TRANSPORT

Animals/Birds🦊🦄🐔🐄🐑🐪🐘🐿🦕🐓🦃🦢🦜🦉🐧. 

Beloved Cats, Dogs naughty or missed, pets, annoying or cute.

Animals: flocks of sheep, manger, cows, sheep, donkeys👀

Domestic animals: birds, cats, dogs, rabbits

Reindeer

Transport: Sleigh, husky dogs, horses

Season: sun; snow; before and after.

Location: Middle East, Jerusalem 

Humans

Central People: baby Jesus/Jesus/ Mary💖

Visitors: three Magi, Shepherds, visitors, strangers, passers by

Garden, yard, trees, wood, forest✔

.....

FOOD, DRINK AND DINING ROOM

Food; Turkey 

Dessert: Christmas pudding, 

Tea time: Christmas cake, yule log, stollen, panettone

Wine: mulled wine, red wine, pink, white wine, bubbly, Champagne

Dinner, supper, midnight feast🎉

table, chair, tablecloth

buffet❤

feast

candle, candle light

...

SEASONAL CELEBRATIONS
Gifts: parcel, present, wishes🌹🎁

Photographs Merriment: jokes, laughter,

Go through a dictionary of synonyms to find alternative words.

For example, 

tree, forest, branch, leaves, wood, fir, pine, cones

adore, appreciate, cherish, love, lust, love, marriage, show affection, worship

donate, gift, give, loan, present, share

family, love, mate, kith and kin, extended family, brothers and sisters, in-laws, significant other, mother, father, Dad, Mum, granddad, grandmother, grandchild, son, daughter, sweetie, offspring descendants

Go through a rhyming dictionary to find rhymes:

For example:

bed, head, bedhead, red, read, said, 👍

angel, bell, dell, Del, fell, heaven and hell, sell, tell, well

all, ball, call, fall, gall, hall, mall, pall, small, tall

bring, ding, ringing, ring, sing, singing, wing, winging, queen, king😃

Christmas day, far away, bay, gay, hay, holiday, jay, lay, may, neigh, pay, ray, say, tray, way

be, yet to be, Dee, fee, free, glee, he, me, see, she, tea, tee, three, tree, we, Zee🌴☘

wreath, beneath, heath, teeth

gift, lift, miffed, rift, sift, 😍

live, forgive

mice, nice, slice, spice🥠🍿🍓🍏🥕

above, love💖

prove, smooth, soothe

bow, doe, foe, go, ho-ho, Jo, Joe, loh, low, mow, know, no, row, show, snow, tow, woe

fleece, peace, 💋

calm, harm

been, dean, Dene, jeans, teens, lean, mean, teen, green, queen, seen, screen, wean,

Cream, scream 

cope, dope, hope

awoke, bloke, joke, mope, nope, Pope, rope, soap, woke😊🎉

clappy, happy

clap, mishap, tap

go, know, mistletoe😜

heaven sent, ornament, well spent✔

beer, clear, fear, year💕

Read your poem to another person or two or three to get their ideas, objections and corrections and additions to the subjects, recipients, people and events described.

Look up other Christmas cards to see their messages.

Find your previous year's Xmas photo for inspiration.

Useful Websites

dictionary.com

https://messages.365greetings.com/

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, fashionista. Please share links to your favourite posts or one or more of the blogs

Books include Wedding Speeches and Toasts (Ward Lock/Cassell)

Quick Quotations (Lulu.com) 

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

https://comicpoemsbynutter.blogspot.com/

https://comicpoemsbynutter.blogspot.com/2020/12/how-to-write-christmas-card-poem.html

Christmas - Crackers!

by Angela Lansbury

When white snow paints rooftops and icy ground

When goodwill glitters grumbles all around

When sweet singing fills the frosty air

Ice skating, theatre, dark nights at the fair

When the golden bells are ringing

When the well-dressed choirs are singing

When people madly, badly dance in red and green

When parcels, ribbons, bows are seen

When the winter trees are green

Bright lights are white, or new and blue

When the seasons turn around

That's when thoughts turn from them to you

I think of a wide-eyed laughing child

I think of teens, parties so wild

I think of happy times we had

I think of you and I feel glad

Whether you're near or far away

Those best of times will always stay

That cinema inside I see

Re-plays happy days for you and me

So thank you for fond memories

For over-eating festive food, and sleeping after toasts with fizz

Our photos show the safety mask we know

Thoughts of bad and good old days make new days glow.