Christmas Eve

Will Santa come for me?

May you all feel the excitement of Christmas.

 

WILL SANTA COME TONIGHT?

“Will Santa come? Will Santa come tonight?”

“He might. He might.

If you are good, he might.”

“Can I stay up and see?”

“No. He will not come for you or me

if we do not sleep . He’s too busy to meet us all.”

“And will he come for us?

If you go to sleep – he does not like fuss.”

Tonight, by the lights of the tree,

there is, at last, some grown up time for me.

The cake is iced. The wine is spiced .The carrots diced.

The pudding’s steamed. The brandy butter creamed.

The turkey prepared awaits. And yes, I did clean the plates.

The tree is up, the table laid,

the cards are out , though the credit card’s unpaid!

So shall I soon with gifts a plenty

mount the stairs to deliver twenty?

Do I dare to tread the stair?

And will it creak?

And will it make a noise that upsets all those Santa ploys?

I need to know if they slumber before I arrive with my lumber.

If they are still awake what dreams will go?

Or do they know? And is their belief just all for show?

So tonight by the magic tree there is need of more time just for me.

I will wait – and struggle to keep open my eyes

And wrestle with the morality of eating Santa’s mince pies.

My adult mind is full of Christmas chores

The cooking times, and the cards through neighbours’ doors

Drinks with friends to come – but not that cheap red

Which would give me a headache as soon as I got to bed

I was once a child too excited to sleep with a torrent of thoughts about what I might be given

Hoping that it was a toy beneath the wrapping

Should I peep? –Not more socks or hankies, preferably something to be driven

So could Santa still come for me? Drowsily I dream as if I were eight

Hoping that Santa would not be late

Like every little boy there is of course a much wanted toy

So will Santa come tonight? He might, He might.

If you sleep well and if you believe

Only if you believe. And only if in your family Love fills the hours you will be spending.

It could be the true Santa on the stair

Or it could be someone from an empty chair.

So will Santa come? He will. He will.

 

32 Comments

  1. Timaction
    December 24, 2022

    Happy Christmas Sir John and all other contributors to your site.

  2. Peter
    December 24, 2022

    Happy Christmas one and all.

  3. X-Tory
    December 24, 2022

    Sir John, I would like to wish you and your family a happy and peaceful Christmas. Thank you for your hard work this year and best wishes for 2023. I hope that next year you will either be more succesful in steering government policy in the right direction or you will abandon this treacherous party and join one that is genuinely patriotic and conservative. But for the next few days, eat, drink and be merry!

    1. Mary M.
      December 25, 2022

      100+++
      Happy Christmas to Sir John, and to everyone visiting the site on this Christmas Day.
      Mary M.

  4. John McDonald
    December 24, 2022

    A Happy and Peaceful Christmas to you Sir John and Family.
    And thanks for your Diary over the past year, Perhaps Santa can deliver it to the Government as they are now asleep.

  5. Bert Young
    December 24, 2022

    Sir John , I hope he does ; the minced pie and glass of wine will be ready by the fire-place . All the very best !.
    Bert .

  6. Fedupsoutherner
    December 24, 2022

    Lovely verse John. A very happy Christmas to you and your family. May we see some common sense from government in the new year. You should give Rishi a copy of your diary as a present. It would be the most useful one he could receive. Thank you for all your hard work.

    1. Lifelogic
      December 24, 2022

      When with Rishi Sunak admit that his vast money printing, the lock down, the vast government waste and net zero caused nearly all the inflation and economic problems. Also that the vaccines have very done significant net harm, that the current absurdly high tax rates and waste will kill economic growth…

      1. Your comment is awaiting moderation
        December 24, 2022

        +1

    2. SM
      December 24, 2022

      Seconded!

  7. Lifelogic
    December 24, 2022

    I recommend all the recent Dr John Campbell videos. Particularly the one on the very worrying & huge Government MRHA Moderna deal, the one with Andrew Bridgen, the German Myocarditis post mortem heart damage pictures, indeed all the ones I have seem have been excellent. Keep up the good work Chope, Bridgen, Dr Campbell, Dr Claire Craig… follow the money seems to be the lesson.

    1. Jason Cartwright
      December 25, 2022

      The MHRA is the national medicines regulator, what deal could it do with Moderna?

  8. IanT
    December 24, 2022

    That naughty Elf got Grandad last night (with Grandmas lipstick) – much to the delight of our Grandchildren this morning. Merry Christmas everyone!

  9. Banana Republic
    December 24, 2022

    Merry Christmas to Sir John Redwood and all at the Diary!

  10. Lifelogic
    December 24, 2022

    https://www.parallelparliament.co.uk/mp/maria-caulfield/vs/andrew-bridgen

    Maria Caulfield’s (a trained Nurse’s) totally pathetic reply to Andrew Bridgen MP. The truth will all come out very shortly Maria it cannot be kept hidden. Your bluster with zero facts is just pathetic.

  11. Cuibono
    December 24, 2022

    So super!
    I love that poem.
    HAPPY HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

  12. Bloke
    December 24, 2022

    Warm greetings to SJR and family together with one and all, wishing you comfort and joy.

  13. The Prangwizard
    December 24, 2022

    Merry Christmas Sir John, to you and yours and a Happy New Year. May God bless you all.

  14. Michael Saxton
    December 24, 2022

    Happy Christmas Sir John, your assiduous work throughout the year has given us hope and aspiration. Yes, you certainly should give the Prime Minister a copy of your diary. Best wishes to your family.

  15. Alastair Stewart
    December 24, 2022

    Merry Christmas, Sir John, and a peaceful and happy New Year to you and your family.

  16. Mickey Taking
    December 24, 2022

    Thank you Sir John for keeping the Diary going. It brings laughter, anger, sanity, confusion, depression, but mostly joy that you and others can see the world for what it is, warts and all.
    Take a well earned rest over the holiday, but please come back fighting for honesty and common sense, Reform awaits.
    Merry Christmas ! Ho! Ho! Ho!

  17. a-tracy
    December 24, 2022

    Merry Christmas John, and everyone reading your fabulous diary, thank you for everything you do, including all the moderation!

  18. Dunedin
    December 24, 2022

    Merry Christmas to you Sir John and to all your readers.

  19. glen cullen
    December 24, 2022

    Thank you SirJ for providing a little ‘light’ in what has been a dark political year and best wishes for 2023

  20. James
    December 24, 2022

    Happy Christmas to everyone there from James here in west of Ireland

  21. Margaret Brandreth Jones
    December 24, 2022

    John and bloggers sleep well and enjoy Christmas day with your families, Christmas blessings.

  22. Kayla Tomlinson
    December 24, 2022

    Happy Christmas Sir John!

  23. Lynn Atkinson
    December 24, 2022

    Several Atkinson tiddlies have received this verse this evening and I have had to explain that JR is the hardest working elf of them all. Santa depends on him and he would never go on strike. So all good wishes to you and yours Sir John. Good wishes to all the readers of these blogs.
    God bless and help us all in 2023.

  24. 37/6
    December 25, 2022

    The Sun complaining as to why the army (carrying bergans – why ???) are only paid £20 a day to do the Border Force’s job.

    Well.

    It’s about time we started scrutinising those gold plated Tory pensions, isn’t it ???

    This is France circa the 18th Century.

  25. mancunius
    December 25, 2022

    He’s making a list
    He’s checking it twice
    He’s gonna find out
    Who’s naughty or nice
    But he’s definitely well-disposed toward our genial host.

    Merry Christmas, Sir John!

  26. Mary M.
    December 25, 2022

    Sir John, may I share this poem by John Meade Falkner again?

    Christmas Day. The Family Sitting.

    In the days of Caesar Augustus
    There went forth this decree:
    Si quis rectus et justus
    Liveth in Galilee,
    Let him go up to Jerusalem
    And pay his scot to me.

    There are passed one after the other
    Christmases fifty-three,
    Since I sat here with my mother
    And heard the great decree:
    How they went up to Jerusalem
    Out of Galilee.

    They have passed one after the other;
    Father and mother died,
    Brother and sister and brother
    Taken and sanctified.
    I am left alone in the sitting,
    With none to sit beside.

    On the fly-leaves of these old prayer-books
    The childish writings fade,
    Which show that once they were their books
    In the days when prayer was made
    For other kings and princesses,
    William and Adelaide.

    The pillars are twisted with holly,
    And the font is wreathed with yew,
    Christ forgive me for folly,
    Youth’s lapses — not a few,
    For the hardness of my middle life,
    For age’s fretful view.

    Cotton-wool letters on scarlet,
    All the ancient lore,
    Tell how the chieftains starlit
    To Bethlehem came to adore;
    To hail Him King in the manger,
    Wonderful, Counsellor.

    The bells ring out in the steeple
    The gladness of erstwhile,
    And the children of other people
    Are walking up the aisle;
    They brush my elbow in passing,
    Some turn to give me a smile.

    Is the almond-blossom bitter?
    Is the grasshopper heavy to bear?
    Christ make me happier, fitter
    To go to my own over there:
    Jerusalem the Golden,
    What bliss beyond compare!

    My Lord, where I have offended
    Do Thou forgive it me.
    That so when, all being ended,
    I hear Thy last decree,
    I may go up to Jerusalem
    Out of Galilee.

  27. ChrisS
    December 25, 2022

    A Merry Christmas to all who post here.

    Father Christmas did come to the Chris S household this year: He brought us both a dose of Covid !
    Ironically, we successfully eluded the virus for the entire pandemic but we tested positive on Friday so are self-isolating.

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