Wednesday 24 December 2014

Christmas Wishes and The Oxen by Thomas Hardy

Wishing all my friends and followers a very Merry Christmas.  Hoping that 2015 will bring health and happiness and freedom of spirit.


THE OXEN by Thomas Hardy



 Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.
“Now they are all on their knees,”
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen,
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few would weave
In these years! Yet, I feel,
If someone said on Christmas Eve,
“Come; see the oxen kneel,

“In the lonely barton by yonder coomb
Our childhood used to know,”
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so.


16 comments:

  1. nadolig llawen to you and yours :-)

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  2. A very merry Christmas to you. Fantastic poem. I love Hardy x

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  3. Nadolig Llawen both (it's about my ONLY bit of Welsh!)

    CT - I love Hardy too. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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  4. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year. The poem is just beautiful :)

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  5. Merry Christmas to all of you BB!

    Thank you for posting The Oxen. I`m sure, like me, you have been out to the stables on a past Christmas Eve just to check!

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  6. The Oxen is a wonderful poem. I would go to the woods to see them kneel at the side of the holy Babe, what a sight to see. Merry Christmas to you.

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  7. Thankyou RR, DW, Terra, Jan. I think there is still that little belief in all of us "hoping it might be so".

    MERRY CHRISTMAS.

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  8. Merry Christmas to all the family, have a marvellous feast in that wonderful place called Wales.
    Love from Thelma and Paul xxx

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  9. Thank you Thelma. I will be thinking of you both and raising a glass from a dry and at times, sunny!, Wales.

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  10. Merry Merry Christmas !
    What a wonderful post

    cheers, parsnip

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  11. Merry Christmas, BB and family. Hope it brings memories for the Last Time in this home. A buyer is my wish for your home this year.

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  12. parsnip - nice and Christmassy isn't it?

    Lynda - what a lovely wish. Thank you and let's hope 2015 is THE year for moving.

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  13. Merry Christmas to you too my friend. xxx

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  14. And to you Em - I was thinking of you Far from the Madding Crowd!

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  15. And Season's Greetings to you too BB. One of my favourite Christmas poems - I always enjoy reading it.

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