Solstice- December 2010

This year's greeting, when I was feeling pretty discouraged about the state of things, especially political.


We are at the Solstice:

Willful human darkness,
dried up dusty old ideas,
murky greed and fear
retreat
as light spreads,
freshness stirs
and cracks through to the sun.

Last night I heard a boy's clear voice singing
"O Come, O Come Emmanuel"
and hope came back to me.
He expects another chance,
he has the energy,
the world is his.

Snow

This was last year's Christmas poem- I was afraid I'd lose track of it:

Snow

When it snows overnight
I hear the silence,
leap up light as a child on Christmas morning.
White sweeps clean the city,
shines like hope.

Again I think:joy!
How could we have children otherwise?
Knowing what we know,
the shadow slipping along behind us.

It is our blind and happy nature
to think it all will change,
that this Christmas will be the one,
this birth the saving grace.