Many birds visit our garden –
tits and finches,
blackbirds and robins,
doves and pigeons
and even a sparrow hawk.
But there’s one bird
we watch out for eagerly
that never seems to come –
a thrush.

It’s Christmas morning
and as I leave the house
to go up to Mass
I’m feeling a little bit nervous.
You see,
I’m going to sing at Mass this morning
for the first time
and I’m not quite sure
how the congregation will react.

As I load my guitar
into the car
I hear a beautiful outburst
of birdsong
coming from the garden –
a Christmas morning chorus!

Looking round
the soloist is easily spied
right at the top of a silver birch –
it’s a thrush!
And in this early morning serenade
I sense My God whisper to me,
“Go on, Claire –
it’s Christmas –
sing your heart out!”

And I drive off
to sing at Mass
with a smile.

© Claire Murray, Christmas Day, 2019