This week, until 29 November, Kevin Mayhew Ltd are offering 10 per cent off my book Touching the Seasons, normally selling at £7.99. That means a saving of 80 pence using the code SEASONS10 when ordering the title from the company’s website. Just type the code into the relevant box at the online checkout between the dates given.
Meanwhile, here’s the sixth of the sessions I’ll be posting this week from the book, to run alongside this promotion.
The holly
It made a lovely display,
the redness of the berries
picked out against the foliage,
each sprig woven together into a festive garland
evocative of Yuletide cheer and goodwill.
Only suddenly it spoke differently,
the berries recalling drops of blood
and the foliage a crown of thorns,
the result not so much a garland as a wreath,
evocative of sorrow and suffering.
Remind me, Lord, that after the stable came a cross,
after birth, death,
after celebration, sacrifice,
and after pleasure, pain,
each bound by a single stem:
the wonder of your love.
Help me to rejoice in all that this season means,
not just in part but in full.
Amen.