A PEACE THAT PASSETH UNDERSTANDING
Here we are, about to go tumbling
Into the arms of another yuletide,
Merrily we come bumbling, giddily we come stumbling
Stoking the fire and hanging the stockings;
When troubles and cares come knocking .
Trimming the tree, uncorking the wine.
We celebrate in uncertain times,
Neo-fascists and. anti-Semites mar the landscape.
The courts block reproductive choice,
Gay is a word we cannot say,
And the season is lost to background noise.
But far, far away from the winds of horror
That blow across these lonesome plains,
From Israel and Gaza and the heartache in Ukraine,
A thread of spirit bids us come and toast the bleak midwinter,
Let the petty squabbles lie until they crack and splinter
The promise of a light in darkness and an end to mortal pain.
The reason for the season can be anything you deign.
Could be Hanukkah or Christmas, Kwanzaa or solstice,
The end game is warmth and a measure of bliss.
May you have light and love this Christmas and a Hanukkah to remember.
A Kwanzaa to be coveted, a December bathed in splendor.
May you bask in the flood of familial love and check your hatred at the door.
Bathe in the memories of Christmases past and those who have gone before.
Say a prayer for the soldiers fighting in the wars that scorch this earth,
.And the innocents whose only crime is, alas, their place of birth
A prayer for the homeless on this blessed day
The hungry broods searching dumpsters for food
The beggar on the corner in his rags and eccentricities,
Could but for the grace of God in fact be you or me
So tick off your many blessings, in the midst of all this busyness.
Take a pause just because, be mindful of your breath.
I wish you well this festive season, infinite hope and infinite joy,
A cherished memory, a precious bauble or a marvelous little toy,
A soft place to fall when you need to make a landing
A candle bright to light your night, snd a peace that passeth understanding.
-Bruce Potts
Copyright 2023
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
