To Keep The Cold Wind Away

Lest we forget we must remember
Christmases past so that Christmas present.
Which will fade as quickly as the rest,
May retrieve for us some lasting values
And recall the seasons when we had
Little abundance save love to receive
And give. Thoses were the days
Along the way we have had escape us
Not only sentimentality but sentiment
As well. We may sing Noel, Noel,
But what does it mean to us?
Folk who knew the meaning of its verses
Are long since gone; in other regions
Than our own they sleep
And if we dream how can we keep
Their uneasy spirits away from us?
Why would we if we could? Their traces
Are our souvenirs of better limes.
Better people, better places
Than these shallow graves
We live in not always, not for long
Not for long we resist temptations
To bring to bear upon our hearts the need
Of fervent re-dedication and wish
That from out of the past
Those who are missing might re-appear
And teach us their truth in lessons
We still find hard to learn
Have we lost charm and innocence
Forever? Will kindness never come again?
And what of grace? We know it once more
Touches us when ghosts we knew
We now reminisce about. Peace
And mercy flow from meek and merry
Children. We were child-like long ago
Perhaps what we celebrate this time of year
Is the birth of children. We are not wisemen.
We come and go. But the birth of children
Is always with us, always stays. It may be
That those parents and relatives we wish
Might gleam again in their after-glow
Are delivering to us a Christmas message
Christ's birth is to us as it was to them
A treasure we all can share through distancing,
And, although every light grows dim, goes out,
His star shines forth in continual brightest blessing.
In the darkest time of year He came
And in the singing of his name we hear voices
Of those held dear, even ever after - - -
We first heard sounds of children's laughter.