38 Years of Christmas Poems: Christmas 2015

I think that a good friend of mine spoke well when she gave me her thoughts about this year's poem. "It's like you tapped into the consciousness of the world, what everyone is feeling and what their hearts need to hear." All I can say is that the idea for this year changed in the wake of all of the sad events of the past few weeks. I wondered if I was ever going to get more than one verse (the second) and then one afternoon, I sat quietly and everything fell quickly and easily into place over several hours. It always stuns me when that happens and leaves me in a state of tremendous appreciation. This year was no different.

Christmas 2015

By Richard Perrotti

The night was cold as I gazed at the sky,

Sadness about me swirled.

How could I celebrate the season

With so much darkness in the world?

All of the hate, hurt and anger

Had exploded into my sight.

Did no one wish to be happy?

No, everyone needed to be right.

That’s when I heard him walk up to me,

Old, with a kindly face.

He smiled, at first saying nothing

As we both stared off into space.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He gestured,

His hand reaching out to the sky.

“This light’s traveled eons to get here

And register in your mind’s eye.

As you dwell on the state of the world,

Consider the stars this cold night.

Truly if there were no darkness,

How would you understand light?

One more thought to soothe your soul

As you gaze at the deep dark afar;

All of the good that’s ever been done

Outnumbers this vast sea of stars.

So change your focus, search for what’s good.

You won’t have to look very far!

Be the light that dissipates night

For love is what we all truly are.”

I felt my heart lighten, releasing the dark,

Just as night must surrender to dawn.

I turned to thank him for his gentle words

To find no one there. He was gone.

Was it all in my mind? I wondered

Then realized that it mattered naught.

Love is the light of the season;

One just need remember that thought.