Sunday, 23 December 2012

This Night of Wondrous Nights



He walks through the dark, unfamiliar streets, isolated and alone,
a young man starting out in life so far away from home.
No Christmas tree to call his own, no friends nor family;
his only warmth is an empty room and some treasured memories.
The door of a church stands open wide, beckoning him inside.
The soft, sweet sound of carollers stops him in his stride.
With hopeful heart he enters, dispelling gloom with light.
Strangers now are family, this night of wondrous nights.
 
In a dim and dismal tenement on the lower end of town
a single mom with naught but love gently lays her baby down.
Silently a teardrop falls, an expression of despair;
she sees the twinkling lights outside but feels that no one cares.
With barely any food to feed herself and hungry child,
no money for life’s basic needs, much less for presents piled.
Then comes a knock upon the door, her neighbours smiling bright,
invite her to share Christmas this night of wondrous nights.

In the hot, harsh sand of a foreign land torn apart by strife
a soldier holds a little girl who clings precariously to life.
Their worlds are vastly different, yet now forever intertwined;
the horror she has witnessed she cannot leave behind.
No one else can ease her pain, so for days now he has stayed there,
cuddling, consoling, comforting her to soothe away the fear.
With a gentle touch he reaches out to try to bring some light
into the darkness of her life, this night of wondrous nights.

A mother, lost in memories past, sits in her rocking chair
fondling recalling days gone by when she held her babies there.
A happy family gathered ‘round sing songs of joyous glee;
while far away sweet tiny tots place an angel on the tree.
An old man kneels in reverence before a bed of straw;
soon he is joined by others, each filled with wonder and awe.
The world awaits the Gift of Love bathed in glowing light;
God with us, Emmanuel, on this night of wondrous nights.

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