Poems by John Peter Read

​It's such a warming feeling
Being surrounded by Christmas
Expectation fills the air.
The sparkle, the glitter
Presents under the gree
With loved ones our dreams we share.

The sound of Christmas carols
Choirs singing Silent Night.
A time to reflect
And thank God above
As we herald the most holy night.

A time to remember loved ones
Who we have lost along the way.
Grief is a heavy burden
Much more poignant
Come Christmas Day.

As a child I believed in Santa
And that there was a God above.
And as a kid
They never once let me down
Ahh! 
If only they could bring back the ones I love.

All those Christmases spent together
Now a family torn apart.
A home now bathed in silence
With only memories to warm the heart.

Dark and mysterious creepy night.
Pumpkin masks shining bright.
Scary monsters, witches' brew.
Trick or treat, you have to choose.

Some dark stranger knocking at my door.
Is he the devil? I'm not too sure.
All I can see is his silhouette.
I've never believed in ghosts, yet still I sweat.

Yes, Halloween's arrived; there's no place to hide
When ghosts and demons come alive.
Halloween night has lost its way.
Too many crazy people now come out to play.

So, I'll close my curtains,
Switch off the lights.
They'll be no Trick or Treat
For me this night.

Of all the artists
who have graced our world,
however great they were,

none can compete
with Mother Nature;
her beauty's beyond compare.

Nature's creations
are truly amazing,
all around us and above.

Great works of art
for the whole world to see,
created by God's hand with love.

Your springtime has gone.
Your summers have passed.
Autumn's now waving goodbye.

Now winter's cold breath
Breathes down your neck
As the seasons fade and die.

When you awake each day,
Never wish it away.
Life's too short as it is.

I know the sun doesn't shine
All of the time.
Yet still every day is a gift.

For none of us know
When a cruel wind may blow,
For life has no guarantees.

So thank God every day.
Live, love, and play,
Making unforgettable memories.

I miss our moments together,
I treasure each memory.
You left with the key to my heart;
Your life lives on through me.

If only I had wings,
I'd fly toward those stars
And knock on heaven's door;
I'm sure that's where you are.

Just to hear your voice,
See your loving smile,
Just to hold you once again,
I would crawl a billion miles.

You'll always be a part of me,
For love never fades with time.
I know in my darkest hours
Your light will always shine.

The old house stands alone and abandoned
Where life once used to thrive.
The old picket fence is broken.
The roof is opened up to the sky.

The well-trodden path to the doorway
Is overgrown with the passing of time.
The garden where once as kids we would play,
Now only a broken swing and memories remain.

Rooms which once echoed with laughter
Now lay silent, forlorn and bare.
Boarded up windows lock in the past
Where only ghosts now meet to confer.

If empty rooms could give up their secrets,
So many stories I'm sure they would tell.
But stubbornly they cling on to the past
And of a childhood they refuse to reveal.

The old house now stands abandoned
Derelict, forgotten, all alone.
Locked inside are my childhood dreams
In this old house which once was my home.

In a silent world of forgotten dreams,
Where disappointments and heartaches lie.
A world where hopes and dreams have died
And bid their last goodbye.

In a deserted land of times gone by,
Where once we used to tread.
Like autumn's leaves from summer's dreams
Lay abandoned, cold and dead.

Those winter chills of unfulfilled dreams
Linger on the ground.
The warmth and glow have left my life
Now that you're no longer around.

In a silent world of forgotten dreams,
A place we failed to breech.
I look towards the star we wished upon
But sadly failed to reach.