Raising a Smile for Northern Ireland Children's Hospice. Brian Boone's Bailie
night of watching sheep
For barely any pay,
Nothing to look forward to,
T'was just another day.
One shepherd there had wife and kids,
That he couldn't clothe or feed,
He was a fine example
Of a family man in need.
The widowed shepherd was alone,
He felt he couldn't cope.
He was a fine example
Of a man who hadn't hope.
This old man was bitter;
He'd had a rough childhood.
He was a fine example
Of a man who knew no good
The youngest shepherd was a thief,
Who stole to stay alive.
He wouldn't do it if he'd had
Enough food to survive
They all felt unimportant,
Criminal and poor,
In those days shepherds just like them
Were treated like manure.
T'was a night like any other,
Until that piercing light!
That lit up half the countryside
And filled the men with fright!
“Have no fear, I bring good news!”
They heard the angel say,
“The Saviour of the human race
Has come to town today!”
“You'll find him in a stable,
Lying in a trough,
Beside the goats and donkeys,
Wrapped up in swaddling cloth!”
“Glory to God in the Highest!
Peace on Earth to men!
The King of kings, the Son of God
Is here in Bethlehem!”
Then just as quickly as they'd come
The angels disappeared.
The shepherds gawked dumbfounded,
Thinking, “That sure was weird...”
They looked at one another,
With the same thing in mind.
Throwing down their rods and staffs
They left the flock behind.
They sprinted quickly through the town,
As fast as they were able,
Until they found the Chosen One
Lying in a stable.
The Messiah, Jesus Christ was found,
As prophecy foretold,
In a shed in Bethlehem
At just a few hours old.
The shepherds quickly realised
This boy, their God, their king,
Were, in fact, not different,
But were all the same thing.
The rulers and the noblemen,
That night, were sound asleep,
While the Son of God was cradled
By men who tended sheep.
T'was to men like any other
The Lord made his debut.
He changed the shepherds' lives that night
And He can change yours too.
You might think that sounds odd,
But it's for folk like you and I,
That Jesus Christ came down to earth
To teach and love...and die.
T'was the greatest night in history,
The only time that's greater
Was when Jesus died and rose again,
Thirty-three years later.
Getting a Broken Arm by Bowen
One day my friend Thomas came over to my house. We had great fun.
We went out on our bikes. I wasn't going as fast as Thomas, but a fly hit me in the eye.
When the fly hit my eye I slapped my eye and fell of my bike and broke my arm, (I didn't know I had a broken arm).
Thomas took me inside. My mum got a sling but it hurt too much to use it.
Then I went to the hospital where I waited two hours, then I got two or three x-rays before I went to this tiny room and got my cast on,
In the tiny room this nice nurse said to me "You are so brave."
When I got my cast on I had to stay upstairs.
The next morning I had to go to another room. I didn't walk there, I asked the doctor to slide my bed there so I didn’t get up.
Then I had to slide into another bed, and the doctor gave me a potion what made me sleep so they could fix my arm.
I had to stay in hospital for two days and one night.
My bed was very comfortable. I had a TV beside me. And a thing what makes my bed go up and down, which was fun.
Then I went home.
I stayed off school for two days. I didn't stay off school longer because all the children would of learnt lots and I would learn nothing.
When I got on the school bus every one at the same time said, "What happened?"
I said to them, "I went sky-diving and I hit a tree. Just joking, I fell of my bike”.
When I got to school every one said to me "Wada-wa?"
And I said "Wada-wa, too you to!"
The Busted Arm by Brian
One thing that I really like
Is riding fast upon my bike.
But one day, a tiny fly
Just happened to fly into my eye.
That fly, it did not mean me harm,
But I fell off and bust my arm.
The doctor, (he was awfully nice),
He had my arm put in a splice,
Then later on put me to sleep
To hammer in two pins to keep
My bone in place while it all heals,
(I now know how a fencepost feels).
The worst part of this treatment was
The medicine, and that’s because
It made my head go round and round,
And