Poet Laureate The Theobold pens a Christmas poem for Worcestershire

By Worcestershire Life on November 16th 2011

Worcestershire Poet Laureate Theo Theobald has written this Christmas poem especially for Worcestershire Life readers. It is both a homage to Dickens and a salutary tale for all of us who send Christmas cards pledging to keep in touch with people we haven’t seen for far too long.

Theo’s Christmas
The Poet Laureate (pictured at his inauguration) who comes from Bromsgrove, says: “As often happens, this is a poem which started out as one thing and evolved into another. I began by trying to capture the spirit of local people at Christmastime and ended up reflecting on my own haplessness when it comes to keeping in touch with the people I should. I promise I’ll do better next year.

“As for my own Christmas, the highlight will be Boxing Day at my brother Phil’s house. Every year he cooks for around 20 family members, after which we play games and sing the now traditional refrain of Glen Campbell’s Wichita Lineman, weird I know!”

Christmas Present

That bloke that wrote ‘A Christmas Carol’
Would have a Dickens of a time
If the setting for his yuletide yarn
Had been within our county line

For here at home in Worcestershire
Our hearts are far too warm
To let Bob Cratchit scratch around
So he might earn his corn

Instead we’d greet him, each of us
We’d be his good well-wisher
Then bung him a tenner for Tiny Tim
Send him shopping to the Kingfisher

Let’s banish Ebenezer Scrooge
Make sure he is black-listed
The folk round here would shed no tear
For he who is tight-fisted

We’d outlaw all adversity
Become the perfect host
Invite the lot of them to tea
Including Marley’s ghost

This story so re-written
Would become a happier tale
The wringing of their hands replaced
By bells of Evesham Vale

And yet the yarn can teach us too
About our lives today
Good deeds oft stay just out of reach
As time just slips away

“I’ll call, I’ll write, we’ll catch up soon”
My words sincerely meant
Are simply words cheap-spoken
With no action, just intent

What’s gone before and what’s to come
May hold us in its thrall
Yet the gift of Christmas Present is
Most precious of them all

So think on Charlie Dickens’ tale
Cherish those who you hold dear
Give more of you to all of them
For the happiest new year

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