A Gentle Heart

As winter falls across your face
With its icy tentacles of frosty lace
Above on the trunk of the big tree towers
Across the land now bereft of flowers,
Still, squirrels scurry up and down
To hidden nests buried underground.


Up high in the sky
Dancing to delight the human eye
The starlings spiralled in synchronised flight
Saluting the autumn that’s fading from sight.


On winter’s wind does blow the cold
That strips the skin from the old
But winter also brings the bliss
Of mistletoe with a stolen kiss.


Puddings laced with brandy or rum
Steaming to fill that hungry tum.
Roaring fires where muffins toast
With spitting chestnuts waiting to roast


All of those are part of the Christmas feast,
But remember the thing that should be forgotten the least.
Christmas can not ever be measured in a shopping cart,
Christmas lives within a gentle heart.


© 2022, Daniel Kemp. All rights reserved.

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About Daniel Kemp

At the age of seventy-six, Daniel Kemp has started his second year of studying the science of Psychology at the Open University. He is a member of The Society of Authors and also a bestselling writer. However, in early September 2025, he was diagnosed with cancer. He is now in palliative care at home, being looked after by his ex-wife. When he was writing his novels, he enjoyed writing stories that appealed to those who liked challenging themselves to solve mysteries that were set out before their eyes, but they couldn't. His introduction to the world of espionage and mystery happened at an early age when his father was employed by the War Office in Whitehall, London, at the end of WWII. However, it wasn’t until after his father died that he showed any interest in anything other than himself! On leaving academia he took on many roles in his working life: a London police officer, mini-cab business owner, pub tenant and licensed London taxi driver, but never did he plan to become a writer. Nevertheless, after a road traffic incident left him suffering from PTSD and effectively—out of paid work for four years, he wrote and self-published his first novel —The Desolate Garden. Within three months of publication, that book was under a paid option to become a $30 million film. The option lasted for six years until distribution became an insurmountable problem for the production company. All ten of his novels are now published by Next Chapter Publishing Company which has added an edition titled The Heirs And Descendants Collection, which holds all four books of that series, alongside an edition titled The Lies And Consequences Collection which contains all four volumes of that series. He is the recipient of rave reviews from a prestigious Manhattan publication and described as—the new Graham Green—by a highly placed executive of Waterstones Books, for whom he did a countrywide tour of book signing events. He has also appeared on 'live' television in the UK publicising his first novel. Less
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2 Responses to A Gentle Heart

  1. HI Danny, this is a great poem. One of my favourites of yours to date.

  2. Daniel Kemp's avatar Daniel Kemp says:

    Thank you, Robbie 🙂

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