Solstice Evergreen

It came as a scene from an old picture postcard Of Victorian ladies with skates on their feet Of ponds frozen over and boughs hung with ice tips And through frosty panes watched the snow and the sleet And the smoke ventured out from the soot blackened chimneys And shimmered beneath an icy cold moon But inside an evergreen stands in the corner And a bright blazing fire to keep out the gloom There's holly and ivy and white mistleberry The sun is in hiding his face he can't show So fill up your glasses so we can be merry While rosy red cheeks by the fire light glow Under the street lights they'll gather together Their shivering voices will ring out with song To sing in the Yule regardless of weather And brighten the darkness all the night long And the mummers perform their plays from the ages In comes King George a man of courage bold While out in the orchard we'll go wassailing And sup on spiced cider to keep out the cold There's holly and ivy and white mistleberry The sun is in hiding his face he can't show So fill up your glasses so we can be merry While rosy red cheeks by the fire light glow The holly and oak king are now changing places And Jack Frost is wearing his new winter vest While out in the wood pile old Jack Green is sleeping To awaken in spring from his long dreamy rest So on this Yule tide we'll gather together Beneath the sign of the ancient god's horns As the new year beckons through cold misty weather We'll raise a toast as the sun is reborn There's holly and ivy and white mistleberry The sun is in hiding his face he can't show So fill up your glasses so we can be merry While rosy red cheeks by the fire light glow