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.

Across a white December night,
Each home is filled with candle light.
The moon shines brightly in a golden sky.
Stars are twinkling way up high.

The cool, still air, a glistening frost,
Smoking chimneys on white rooftops.
The Christmas tree, the mistletoe,
Christmas carols, our loved ones at home.

Christmas is a time for merriment and cheer.
It's also a time to thank God we're here.
So when we wake on a bright Christmas morn,
Remember the reason we celebrate.
It's the day our Saviour was born.

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.

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.

Rainbows paint a picture
On a showery summer's day.
The wind is just a whisper
To blow your cares away.

The rain is heaven's tear drops,
Which make all things grow.
Our moon is an orchestra
That make the oceans ebb and flow.

The sun, God's great creation
That gives everything its life.
The stars are heaven's angels
Twinkling through the night.

The aurora borealis,
Those northern lights for all to see,
Are the greatest show on earth
Our Lord puts on for free.

The wonders of the universe,
All creatures great and small,
Were made by God with love
To amaze us one and all.

I'm living in my own little world.
I'm happy there, it's okay.
It's much more fun than the real one,
For the sun shines every day.

It's a world with no hate or sorrow.
In my world there is no pain.
There's no rich, no poor, no kings or queens.
In my world only our Lord reigns.

It's a world of many colours,
A world where everyone's free.
It's a world of love and harmony,
A world of compassion and tranquility.

I know my world's not the real one.
It's only my world of make-believe.
But it's a world I often visit,
If it's only in my dreams.

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.

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.

The days fade and die.
The years have flown by.
Loved ones have passed;
Now only memories remain.

Those dreams you once shared,
They still linger there.
Believing in Heaven
You'll meet once again.

I often lie awake at night
While the world is fast asleep
And take a stroll down memory lane
Where ghosts and shadows meet.

I see you in the distance,
I hear you call my name.
And for one moment time stands still
As I hold you once again.