Ten Poems on Christmas Trees

Many of us still love the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree to bring the light indoors during the darkest days of winter.

This festive mini-anthology captures their special magic, so symbolic of family and spending time with loved ones. There are poems about choosing the right tree and carrying it home, being a tree in a forest in all the wonder of winter, even finding a small owl hiding in a tree’s branches over the holidays. There’s also a poem about a magnificent tree made entirely of books that tickles the ceiling.

Central to everything is the tree itself:

“…Inside, the tree
claims its space, cloaked in glitter,
wearing winter’s hush like a crown.”

from ‘Gown of Needles’ by Gail Lawler

These beautifully varied poems explore the importance of Christmas trees, alight with all our memories, sparkles and wishes.

Selected and introduced by Di Slaney.

Poems by Jeanette Burton, ee cummings, Olga Dermott-Bond, Robert Frost, Gail Lawler, Sinéad Morrissey, CP Nield, Rhona Stephens, Molly Thapviwat and Polly Walshe.