"THE STORIES OF CHRISTMAS" ART PIECE, POEM AND GAME
Here is my annual Christmas art piece and poem, for your viewing and reading pleasure. This year, I have added a Christmas game into the mix, as well. Hopefully that is fun for everyone. The piece is pictured above, the poem is directly below, then the game is posted below that, all in this journal entry. You can also go to my gallery, where all three are posted separately, right at the top.
Now that I am back out in the world as a starving artist, writer, teacher and musical performer, I cannot really afford much in the way of Christmas presents. So, I have spent a long time, many many hours, creating these special Christmas creations, which will be gifts for family (along with some other little special things). I know it's not something fancy and expensive, but it is my hope that it will be special and capture the feeling and spirit of Christmas for all who receive it.
I hope that each of you, no matter your culture, country, religious affiliation, etc., have a wonderful holiday season. May this new year, despite all the appearances of chaos in our world, be filled with wonder, spirit, and all that you need and desire in love. May the peoples of the world, despite all the negative efforts of the powers that be, come together, love each other, take care of each other, and turn our planet into a place of goodness, tolerance, peace, healing and joy!
-Merton
***********************************************
"THE STORIES OF CHRISTMAS" (POEM)
Merton Parrish, Christmas 2014, All rights reserved
The stories of Christmas have danced in our heads
Since when we were small and slept in our beds-
Dreaming of Santa and reindeer and sleighs,
Flying through skies, as we made our way
To Grammie’s house where there were presents galore
And treats that our aunts made, and oh so much more…
There were bubble lights brewing on Grammie’s big tree
As the color wheel spun there, for you and for me!
The sight that was Christmas, was ours to behold,
And it captured the feeling in the stories we were told.
For since we were babes, the tales were all sung
By grown-ups and angels; it kept us all young!
For how could we end up like Scrooge, the old miser,
If Santa and Rudolf and Frosty made us wiser?
How could we turn out all hopeless and sad
If Linus put his blanket ‘round the tree that looked so bad?
Yes, all of the stories still make us happy,
And we do not care if Scrooges call them sappy!
We’ll gather together this year, yet once more;
We’ll sing the old carols, to the world we’ll implore…
“Let not the fighting, the sadness and badness
Ov’r take us and make us all filled with great madness;
Let not the things we shut eyes not to see
Make us close hearts, and minds to Thee!”
The stories of Christmas are here to transform us,
To make of our world one which will not alarm us.
The stories of old, once again we embrace
So that we shall see love and joy on each face.
And maybe, just maybe, if that little Child,
In the manger of old, so meek and so mild,
Can enter our countenance, our hearts and our souls
Then we’ll start our new year, with an idea quite bold.
Yes maybe, just maybe, no matter what’s seen
On every cell phone, computer and TV,
We’ll not react with fear or with malice
and turn this old world into love, a true palace!
Oh could it be that Rudolphs and fairies
might just when we need it, help us to marry
Love and patience and all those old things
That we need right now, so all the world sings?
Together in one great song of elation
In one golden chorus of true transformation,
We’ll put an end to all that is selfish,
We’ll share all our gifts and be, well, quite “elfish.”
We’ll all find a way, to do what we love
And make of it gifts, sent to us from above.
And we’ll give these gifts to all those around us.
It won’t just be paychecks; it will quite astound us!
And when it’s all over, this world of sad songs,
We’ll look back and wonder why it took so long
For us to see, that if we’d just shared,
Laid bare our hearts, if we’d just cared…
There wouldn’t have been all the fighting and strife
If we’d just let each be themselves and take flight!
If we hadn’t made a world with such strictures
Hardly hiding all of the ego and mixtures
Of so many things not from above-
We needed to make a world of true Love…
Oh Jesus, oh Santa, oh Sugar Plum Fairy,
Help us, come to us, oh please do not tarry!
For if we are now to make of our lives,
Of our home here on earth one not filled with such lies,
We need your Spirit, your wealth of goodwill
To show us just what we must do, now, until…
The great day, it comes! Oh let it be soon!
Let us get ready for one great, big swoon!
For that shining Earth that’s spoken of in stories
From all of the peoples, oh bring forth the glories!
For it really doesn’t matter, if we call you Buddha
Or Allah or Jesus… or even Rudolph!
We all in our hearts know just what love is,
We know what it feels like, we know where “above” is…
Let us unite and celebrate our stories,
They are diff’rent and same, and that’s where the joy is!
It’s time now to see, what we came here to do
A wonderful thing, for me and for you.
We came to this place, in this special time
And perhaps just now, through story and rhyme
We can feel the breath of angels and sleighs
And make of this not the “End of Days.”
But instead a beginning, a new chapter in time
Where stories are celebrated, difference is sublime-
Difference, sameness, oh what a mystery
Mingling together, throughout all of history.
So now, all you characters, that fill up our stories,
We thank you, we love you, we see in you glory.
And in our hearts, we cherish the telling
Of the stories of Christmas, we receive your Blessing!
********************************************
THE STORIES OF CHRISTMAS GAME
Dear Fellow Deviant Art Artists, friends and viewers,
Here is the little game I have devised to go with this Christmas art piece, which will be a gift for various persons in my family, along with the poem, candy bars, etc....
Hope you enjoy it. Have fun!
Merton
***************************************
“THE STORIES OF CHRISTMAS”
Art Piece and Christmas Game
Created by Merton Parrish
Especially for his dear ones, Christmas 2014
All rights reserved
_______________________________
Can you find each character from our Christmas stories?
Cross off the dot, as you find each one…
• Baby Jesus (who is “the reason for the season”) in the manger
• Two Christmas elves, holding two books open for us
• Frosty the Snowman
• Santa Claus
• Saint Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus
• Two brothers, asleep on Christmas Eve, dreaming of Christmas morning
• A Fire in the fireplace on Christmas Eve
• The Sugar Plum Fairy
“THE STORIES OF CHRISTMAS” (GAME)
Created by Merton Parrish
especially for his dear ones, Christmas 2014
All rights reserved
_______________________________
Can you find each character from our Christmas stories?
Cross off the dot, as you find each one…
• Baby Jesus (who is “the reason for the season”) in the manger
• Two Christmas elves, holding two books open for us
• Frosty the Snowman
• Santa Claus
• Saint Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus
• Two brothers, asleep on Christmas Eve, dreaming of Christmas morning
• A Fire in the fireplace on Christmas Eve
• The Sugar Plum Fairy
• The North Star, shining above the manger
• Christmas stockings hung by the fire, waiting to be filled by Santa Claus
• Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus
• The little, sad looking Christmas tree that Linus wrapped his blanket around
• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
• A protecting angel, guarding two sleeping brothers on Christmas Eve
• Merton's little doggie, visiting us from heaven, by the fire, being petted by Frosty
• The storybook “Twas the Night before Christmas,” open to the first page
• The cattle at the manger
• A book featuring the hymn “While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night”
• Scrooge, his offering gold, which turns into “spirit bubbles” that evoke love
• The Three Kings with their gifts for Jesus
