"For Auld Lang Syne" by Henry HarwoodAn End of the Year Poem and Christmas Musical Medley by Jeff Eardley The Society December 28, 2023 Beauty, Culture, Music, Poetry 22 Comments . Christmas Medley performed by Jeff Eardley https://classicalpoets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/christmas-medly.mp3 . . Absent Friends The Christmas lights are twinkling on the houses all around. All we need’s a frosting and some snow upon the ground. But as this old year rattles on, and crashes to its end, It’s time to raise a glass or two and think of absent friends. The ones who stood beside us on our days out on the trail, They stood beside us at the bar whilst spinning out a tale. We close our eyes and crack a smile as Winter’s dark descends, Remembering the happy times we had with absent friends. But now, the light is fading at this dark end of the year. The drunks are rolling out of pubs, their bellies full of beer. But as the madness settles down, I hope, some time to spend. To play a few old Carols, and remember absent friends. . . Jeff Eardley lives in the heart of England near to the Peak District National Park and is a local musician playing guitar, mandolin and piano steeped in the music of America, including the likes of Ry Cooder, Paul Simon, and particularly Hank Williams. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 22 Responses Mary Gardner December 28, 2023 Thank you, Jeff. The music is soothing, and your poem made me smile as I remembered old friends. Reply Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Thank you for your kind comment Mary. A happy new year to you. Reply Betty R. Glaz December 28, 2023 It’s been a bad day with bad news from the doctor. Jeff, your music calmed my soul and your poem brought a smile to my face as I remember old friends. I like your choices of American musicians. Thank you for ending my day on a perfect note. Reply Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Thank you Betty and hope you get some better news in the new year. Yes, old friends hold some happy memories at this reflective time. Your comment is much appreciated. Reply Shamik Banerjee December 28, 2023 A beautiful composition that soothes the ears and warms the heart. I love the theme, Jeff. Bidding farewell to a year is incomplete without remembering the graces bestowed upon us in the form of souls who ‘always stood by us’. Thank you for this heartwarming piece. Reply Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Thank you Shamik. Your graceful comment has warmed my heart today. Best wishes. Reply Brian A. Yapko December 28, 2023 Jeff, I love this Christmas medley which is so peaceful and beautifully performed. The poem is also not only beautiful but deeply moving. Thank you for the melancholy reminder: here’s to absent friends. Reply Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Thanks Brian and thank you for all your superb work this year. You are inspirational. Best wishes for the new year. Reply Norma Pain December 28, 2023 This is such a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas medley. You play the guitar beautifully Jeff. Thank you. Reply Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Thanks Norma. I always recall a remark from a friend some years ago. “If I hadn’t been a guitar player, I could have been good at something.” Best wishes to you. Reply Norma Pain December 28, 2023 I was so relaxed I forgot to comment on your poem. It is a lovely poem reminding us about absent friends and family who mean so much to us all. Thank you. Reply Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Hi again Norma and thank you for all your scintillating, hilarious pieces that have cheered me up so many times. Best wishes for a happy 2024. Reply Paul A. Freeman December 29, 2023 Your poem (and music) helped put time aside to recall those who are no longer with us in an amusing way. Thanks for that. Reply Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Thanks Paul and thanks for all your work this year. Best wishes for a successful 2024. Reply Roy Eugene Peterson December 29, 2023 Jeff, you are both a great musician and writer of poetry. You put a lot of feeling into your musical presentation. I lost a close cousin and some friends this year and your poem really helped set their loss in perspective. They are still loved and remembered always as long as I have memories of them. Christmas carols indeed take me back to former happy times I enjoyed with them throughout our years, but which are particularly sharp and poignant Christmastime. Bless you in the New Year ahead of us. Reply Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Roy, thanks for your comment and I hope you have had a joyful Christmas. I have lost several old buddies, and family members, in the depths of Winter and it is always comforting to dwell on the best of memories. My own dad passed away on 23rd December many years ago and my thoughts are always with the old soldier battling through France in WWII to make a better life for my generation. Best wishes for a happy new year Roy. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 29, 2023 Jeff, what a treat… a magical Christmas Medley, a lovely, nostalgic poem (I love the mention of those drunks rolling out of British pubs) in honor of absent friends – a combination of your talents that reaches out to warm our hearts and homes this chilly (for some) season. Jeff, thank you very much indeed! Happy New Year to you! Reply Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Thanks Susan/Mike and hope you have a great New Year celebration. It’s a little sad that the drunks no longer roll out of pubs due to the incredible price of booze over here. Your kind words are much appreciated and may you keep all of us inspired, educated and amused with all the wordly magic that you weave so well. Reply Margaret Coats December 29, 2023 Jeff, thanks for the performance. I wish my notes were as clear and distinctively varied as you have made the ones presented here. Your introductory poem gives thought-pathos to the music, as do the words commonly associated with these tunes. And there is as well the knowledge that many of us here are absent friends who have never met. Christmas is still with us, though, and may you enjoy the remaining days to the full! Reply Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Oh thank you Margaret. Yes , we are all friends who have never met but this site is an amazing second-best. I hope you have a splendid (sober???) New Year celebration and I look forward to all your work and incisive comment which is so rewarding to read. You are a real star. Happy New Year to you and yours. Reply CB. Anderson January 1, 2024 Such lovely music has helped me set my ship aright, for which you have my eternal gratitude. In the universe you create, memory and foresight are the same thing. Reply Jeff Eardley January 1, 2024 Oh, CB, you are too kind. Best wishes to you and yours for a fruitful New Year. Best wishes from over here. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Mary Gardner December 28, 2023 Thank you, Jeff. The music is soothing, and your poem made me smile as I remembered old friends. Reply
Betty R. Glaz December 28, 2023 It’s been a bad day with bad news from the doctor. Jeff, your music calmed my soul and your poem brought a smile to my face as I remember old friends. I like your choices of American musicians. Thank you for ending my day on a perfect note. Reply
Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Thank you Betty and hope you get some better news in the new year. Yes, old friends hold some happy memories at this reflective time. Your comment is much appreciated. Reply
Shamik Banerjee December 28, 2023 A beautiful composition that soothes the ears and warms the heart. I love the theme, Jeff. Bidding farewell to a year is incomplete without remembering the graces bestowed upon us in the form of souls who ‘always stood by us’. Thank you for this heartwarming piece. Reply
Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Thank you Shamik. Your graceful comment has warmed my heart today. Best wishes. Reply
Brian A. Yapko December 28, 2023 Jeff, I love this Christmas medley which is so peaceful and beautifully performed. The poem is also not only beautiful but deeply moving. Thank you for the melancholy reminder: here’s to absent friends. Reply
Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Thanks Brian and thank you for all your superb work this year. You are inspirational. Best wishes for the new year. Reply
Norma Pain December 28, 2023 This is such a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas medley. You play the guitar beautifully Jeff. Thank you. Reply
Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Thanks Norma. I always recall a remark from a friend some years ago. “If I hadn’t been a guitar player, I could have been good at something.” Best wishes to you. Reply
Norma Pain December 28, 2023 I was so relaxed I forgot to comment on your poem. It is a lovely poem reminding us about absent friends and family who mean so much to us all. Thank you. Reply
Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Hi again Norma and thank you for all your scintillating, hilarious pieces that have cheered me up so many times. Best wishes for a happy 2024. Reply
Paul A. Freeman December 29, 2023 Your poem (and music) helped put time aside to recall those who are no longer with us in an amusing way. Thanks for that. Reply
Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Thanks Paul and thanks for all your work this year. Best wishes for a successful 2024. Reply
Roy Eugene Peterson December 29, 2023 Jeff, you are both a great musician and writer of poetry. You put a lot of feeling into your musical presentation. I lost a close cousin and some friends this year and your poem really helped set their loss in perspective. They are still loved and remembered always as long as I have memories of them. Christmas carols indeed take me back to former happy times I enjoyed with them throughout our years, but which are particularly sharp and poignant Christmastime. Bless you in the New Year ahead of us. Reply
Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Roy, thanks for your comment and I hope you have had a joyful Christmas. I have lost several old buddies, and family members, in the depths of Winter and it is always comforting to dwell on the best of memories. My own dad passed away on 23rd December many years ago and my thoughts are always with the old soldier battling through France in WWII to make a better life for my generation. Best wishes for a happy new year Roy. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 29, 2023 Jeff, what a treat… a magical Christmas Medley, a lovely, nostalgic poem (I love the mention of those drunks rolling out of British pubs) in honor of absent friends – a combination of your talents that reaches out to warm our hearts and homes this chilly (for some) season. Jeff, thank you very much indeed! Happy New Year to you! Reply
Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Thanks Susan/Mike and hope you have a great New Year celebration. It’s a little sad that the drunks no longer roll out of pubs due to the incredible price of booze over here. Your kind words are much appreciated and may you keep all of us inspired, educated and amused with all the wordly magic that you weave so well. Reply
Margaret Coats December 29, 2023 Jeff, thanks for the performance. I wish my notes were as clear and distinctively varied as you have made the ones presented here. Your introductory poem gives thought-pathos to the music, as do the words commonly associated with these tunes. And there is as well the knowledge that many of us here are absent friends who have never met. Christmas is still with us, though, and may you enjoy the remaining days to the full! Reply
Jeff Eardley December 29, 2023 Oh thank you Margaret. Yes , we are all friends who have never met but this site is an amazing second-best. I hope you have a splendid (sober???) New Year celebration and I look forward to all your work and incisive comment which is so rewarding to read. You are a real star. Happy New Year to you and yours. Reply
CB. Anderson January 1, 2024 Such lovely music has helped me set my ship aright, for which you have my eternal gratitude. In the universe you create, memory and foresight are the same thing. Reply
Jeff Eardley January 1, 2024 Oh, CB, you are too kind. Best wishes to you and yours for a fruitful New Year. Best wishes from over here. Reply