All I want for Christmas…

I thought I would try to write a found poem, just type into Google “all I want for Christmas…” and there it would be, almost fully formed.

The poet Brian Bilston did one about LOVE in a similar fashion – how hard can it be? Actually it isn’t easy at all.

The most popular Google answer … is you. Mariah Carey has much to answer for this time of year!

…is my two front teeth, is also common. But my teeth are fine, I’ve been to see the dentist recently.

So maybe I want a hippopotamus for Christmas. Any excuse to add this fun classic.

On a more serious note, when I switch on the TV and see the state of the world, I’d settle for peace on earth…

…what do hippopotami eat actually? Because maybe having a crazy pet would be easier than achieving world peace!

Giving up on the poem idea I search the list of top 10 toys for Christmas 2023 instead. Top of the list is anything Barbie, capitalising on the big hit film of the year, there’s the ever-popular Lego and perhaps more surprisingly Furbies are back in fashion.

In many ways I’m glad I now longer have young children with their demands this time of year, money towards a new laptop and a new pair of trainers seem to be on the wish lists of my now grown-up children. Even my teenage nephew has stated he doesn’t want more STUFF.

We collect so much as has become evident as we have cleared out my mum’s clutter with a view to downsizing.

Only the house sale as fallen through – mum’s dream of being in a new home in time for Christmas has come crashing down.

So often what we want is not material at all, but love and security, a roof over our heads and a warm blanket, a nice cup of tea and a friend to share it with.

How did life get so complicated? Or rather WHEN?

I was talking to a friend the other day and we lapsed into nostalgia as we listened to Simon Mayo on Greatest Hits Radio. His show is just the same as it used to be way back when we had small children to deal with, just moved now to a different station.

Of course, those were the days when we weren’t so tied to our phones because we could only use them to ring people or text – remember hitting the 7 key four times every time you wanted to write an S? And yet life was simpler.

So, what do I want for Christmas and maybe more importantly what am I going to buy for other people? I feel as if I’ve turned into Scrooge as my list of presents to buy diminishes year on year.

I’d love to buy everyone a book but the truth is not everyone reads as much as I do. Perhaps I should encourage them to find other uses such as sticking them under the legs of wobbly tables. With a good aim you can throw a book at a spider to kill it! That sounds a bit cruel but I did squash one with a hymn book at church on Sunday, honestly it was huge and just landed on me from nowhere.

Yes, if I could I’d buy a book for everyone on the planet and inside it would share the recipe for peace on earth and perhaps a picture of a hippopotamus on the cover – well a girl can dream.