Merry Christmas

Earth strike up your music,

Birds that sing and bells that ring,

Heaven hath answering music,

For all Angels soon to sing.

Earth put on your whitest,

Bridal robe of spotless snow,

For Christmas bringeth Jesus,

Brought for us so low.

-Christina Rossetti

Be Open

may my heart always be open

E.E. Cummings

may my heart always be open to little

birds who are the secrets of living

whatever they sing is better than to know

and if men should not hear them men are old

may my mind stroll about hungry

and fearless and thirsty and supple

and even if it’s sunday may i be wrong

for whenever men are right they are not young

and may myself do nothing usefully

and love yourself so more than truly

there’s never been quite such a fool who could fail

pulling all the sky over him with one smile