2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Day 15 - from "Academy of American Poets" at poets.org

"Christmas at the Orphanage" by Bill Knott

But if they’d give us toys and twice the stuff
most parents splurge on the average kid,
orphans, I submit, need more than enough;
in fact, stacks wrapped with our names nearly hid
the tree where sparkling allotments yearly
guaranteed a lack of—what?—family?—

I knew exactly what it was I missed:
(did each boy there feel the same denials?)
to share my pals’ tearing open their piles
meant sealing the self, the child that wanted
to scream at all You stole those gifts from me;
whose birthday is worth such words? The wish-lists
they’d made us write out in May lay granted
against starred branches. I said I’m sorry.

Update to Msg #3

15/31

update to message #6
15/31

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PROGRESS: 16/24 🎄

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15 out of 24

Updated message #4: 15/24

Updated message: #7

🎄🎄🎄Progress: 15/24🎄🎄🎄

✔️12/15 - Chapter 17

Day 16 - A funny one from "24 Christmas Poems for Kids: Festive Advent Calendar" at imagineforest.com

"Snowman Poop" by Unknown

You’ve been naughty all year,
So here’s the scoop.

All you get for a gift dear,
Is this snow poop!

Update to Msg #3

16/31

Jen wrote: "I am done for now. I have read 73 pages of poetry. I don’t do well with one a day things. My pace is never steady."

Jen, how many poems did you read? If you read 24 ... you can count them as 24 and you will have completed the challenge even if it's a little eary -- early is fine and dandy 😄

Updated message #11: 16/24

Updated through Msg #161.

🕯️9 Days 'til Christmas🕯️

Will update again on Dec 17th.

🕯️Happy Advent Reading!🕯️

Update to Message #10: 16/24

Updated message: #7

🎄🎄🎄Progress: 16/24🎄🎄🎄

✔️12/16 - Chapter 18

update msg. #20: 16/24

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17/31

Day 17 - from "24 Christmas Poems for Kids: Festive Advent Calendar" at imagineforest.com

"Christmas" by Matteo Minker-Wielstein (7 yrs old written on 12/10/20)

Santa Clause is coming
So you better behave
But the real meaning of Christmas
Is Jesus came to save
So it doesn’t matter if no presents
Are under the tree
Because Jesus loves he or she,
and the real gift is L O V E

Update to message 4: 18/24

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PROGRESS: 17/24 🎄

update to message #13: 16/24

Updated message 15. Progress: 17/24

Updated through Msg #171.

🕯️8 Days 'til Christmas🕯️

Will update again on Dec 19th.

🕯️Happy Advent Reading!🕯️

Updated message: #7

🎄🎄🎄Progress: 17/24🎄🎄🎄

✔️12/17 - Chapter 19

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PROGRESS: 18/24 🎄

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Updated message 15. Progress: 18/24

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18/31

Update to Message #10: 18/24

Day 18 - An old-fashioned one from "Academy of American Poets" at poets.org

"The Christmas Wreath" by Anna de Brémont

Oh! Christmas wreath upon the wall,
Within thine ivied space
I see the years beyond recall,
Amid thy leaves I trace
The shadows of a happy past,
When all the world was bright,
And love its magic splendour cast
O’er morn and noon and night.

Oh! Christmas wreath upon the wall,
’Neath memory’s tender spell
A wondrous charm doth o’er thee fall,
And round thy beauty dwell.
Thine ivy hath the satiny sheen
Of tresses I’ve caressed,
Thy holly’s crimson gleam I’ve seen
On lips I oft have pressed.

Oh! Christmas wreath upon the wall,
A mist steals o’er my sight.
Dear hallow’d wreath, these tears are all
The pledge I now can plight
To those loved ones whose spirit eyes
Shine down the flight of time;
Around God’s throne their voices rise
To swell the Christmas Chime!

Update #16

18/24 complete

Update message 25. 18/24

update msg 21
19/24

Updated message: #7

🎄🎄🎄Progress: 18/24🎄🎄🎄

✔️12/18 - Chapter 20

Updated message: #7

🎄🎄🎄Progress: 19/24🎄🎄🎄

✔️12/19 - Chapter 21 & 22

update msg. #20: 18/24

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PROGRESS: 19/24 🎄

Day 19 - from "24 Christmas Poems for Kids: Festive Advent Calendar" at imagineforest.com

"Santa’s Watching" by Kidspot

Christmas time is coming,
It’s time we must be good,
For Santa’s watching everyday,
And we forgot we should.

Clean our room and wash the car,
Help mum with every chore,
For presents we are after,
And a good one we must score.

No time to chat, no time to play
There’s dishes to be done.
There will be time later,
For us to have some fun.

Update to message #6
19/31

Update to Message #10: 19/24

Today I started In a Holidaze, which just happened to open on my Dec. 26 birthday. What a surprise!

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19/31

Updated through Msg #189.

🕯️6 Days 'til Christmas🕯️

We are almost there! And I have several pages more than I had planned on to finish up Ben Hur. A fun read, but I've just had so many interruptions!

Hope all you of had a good weekend and will have a good week!

Will update again on Dec 22nd.

🕯️Happy Advent Reading!🕯️

Updated message 15. Progress: 21/24

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PROGRESS: 20/24 🎄

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20/31

Day 20 - from "24 Christmas Poems for Kids: Festive Advent Calendar" at imagineforest.com

"Feast Ye Well" by @haikus_by_KN

Feast ye well and have good cheer
For it be Christmas, then New Year.
But take heed! The stars forebode;
“Eat not too much, lest ye explode.”

Update to message #14
Progress 20/24

Updated message: #7

🎄🎄🎄Progress: 20/24🎄🎄🎄

✔️12/20 - Chapter 23

Updated message 37: 21/24

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21 days/24 days

tihylttw: 22 chapters/25 chapters
oas: 17 chapters/20 chapters

overall: 39 chapters/45 chapters

Chances are that I won't get to use my computer tomorrow, so...

Day 21 - from "24 Christmas Poems for Kids: Festive Advent Calendar" at imagineforest.com

"Christmas Acrostic" by Johnnie DesRochers

C is for the child born that night to be our light.
H is for holy is His name
R is for rejoice with gladness and joy.
I is for Immanuel, God with us.
S is for the star that led the Wise men to Him.
T is for the truth and grace that was sent our way.
M is for Mother Mary laying him in swaddling clothes in the manger.
A is for angels singing songs of joy.
S is for salvation.