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Christmas 1943
by Jane E Pearce It came upon a midnight clear
The streets, full of faces,
eyes lit with Christmas hope,
store windows with moving manikins,
toys, and bouncing cotton batting Santas.
That glorious song of old
Friends and I carrying gifts,
coats covered with winter talc
walk beside soldiers and sailors
on leave, so many boys, suddenly men.
From angels bending near the earth
They die in places foreign to our ears,
their names and pictures in the papers,
announcing a void in some family,
a void in classmates' hearts.
to touch their harps of gold
I thought on the bus ride home,
packages crinkling and secret,
how many Gold Stars hung in windows
of mothers who had said a final goodbye.
Peace on the earth, good will to men
Empty seats in a classroom,
empty seats at a Christmas table,
no time for sorrow- bandages to be rolled,
first aid to be practiced, no time to think.
from Heaven's all gracious King
The number three bus pulled in to my stop,
and as I walked to the house, heavy with gifts,
I saw a messenger boy with a telegram
for Mrs. Whitman across the street.
The world in solemn stillness lay
to hear the Angels sing 12/18/2004 Posted on 12/19/2004
Copyright © 2025 Jane E Pearce
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Maureen Glaude on 12/19/04 at 01:09 PM amazing, I'm printing up. I want to show my minister this. Incredible, POTD, more than that, the best I've read in months on here. |
| Posted by Christel Crews on 12/22/04 at 05:08 AM you've intertwined one of my favorite carols into this piece and its magnificent! it made me pause to say a prayer for those families who are without loved ones this year because of the war. this is an amazing piece |
| Posted by Charles E Minshall on 12/24/04 at 12:01 AM Wonderful bit of writing here Jane...Charlie |
| Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 12/29/04 at 02:46 PM Powerful piece of poetry; one of the strongest I've read in a long time Jane. Excellent integration of old and new...and old; reads as if you actually wrote in 1943. |
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