Polaris by Simon Armitage

Police are hunting high and low
for the thief who nicked the winter snow.
Who got their mitts on those glittery days?
The Arctic fox, the motorway says.
But the star of the north is the star of truth.

Majors and ministers want to know
what on earth became of the British snow.
December went AWOL - who’s to blame?
The Arctic hare, said the aeroplane.
But the star of the north is the star of truth.

Bishops are wondering…where did it go,
the magical heavenly Christmassy snow?
There isn’t a flake of the stuff in the air
and the chimney points at the polar bear.
But the star of the north is the star of truth.
The star of truth is the star of the north.

This is a new Christmas Carol on the theme of climate change written by poet laureate, Simon Armitage. It was chosen by BBC Radio 3 as the text for their annual carol competition and listeners were invited to compose a tune for it. The competition is over now. But Simon’s poem got me thinking and this is my response. Who knows. Perhaps the BBC will choose it for next year’s competition!

Nova by Mike Stanton

To the north in quest of the polar bear
the Arctic fox and the Arctic hare.
But when we arrive, they are not there
and nobody there can tell us where
they might have gone.

The land is neither green nor white,
Slushy grey the coastal bight.
The sky above is dark as night.
Polaris casts a shaky light
The sun has gone.

It’s meant to come back in the Spring
when birds and beasts and flowers sing
in technicolour, quickening.
But I can’t help questioning,
will it come?

We need a star of truth to burst
And break the spell with which we’re cursed,
that lets the baddest do their worst.
And then we’ll put our planet first.
Our will be done!