Merry Christmas! And a Poem

Can you believe that Christmas is in four days? Ah! We’ve gone through most of our Christmas yums already, but there are others that have yet to be made! Primarily: gingerbread men. I’ve got the dough ready, but haven’t rolled and baked them yet, largely due to our dying oven, which was just replaced yesterday with a brand-spankin’ new one. It’s a convection oven, too, and I have no idea how to use one of those. One never does cease to learn, eh?

Anywho, though I’d love to share with you sugar cookies, toffee bark, and peanut butter thumbprints, I cannot. Computers are finicky that way. But I can share words, and words last longer, anyway. Once upon a time I was asked to use my writing skills for a Christmas church service, and so I wrote a poem. I’m not one much for poetry, granted, as it confused my brain in grade school (making me despise it for years), and great works of poetry I’ve never been able to grasp. But I do like rhythm, and I do like rhyme. So I ignored all the rules I didn’t know and wrote a story, which took some work, but was also fun.

I’ve since gone back and revised it, but not a whole lot, and I’d like to share it with you, in celebration of the season and Christ’s first coming.

I never actually titled this one, so for now we’ll call it A Shepherd’s Tale.

Gather round, ye fine fair folk, and pray thee, listen well! Harken now to Kasimir Holk and the tale that he doth tell.

Once upon a long ago in a land quite far away, there lived a shepherd herding sheep by starlight and by day.

His master was a rich─ish man whose flocks were kind of large─ish, and breeded he the finest lambs twixt Bethlehem and Tarshish.

The shepherd was a lonely man with neither kith nor bower, far away from hearth and home by man’s most greedy power.

And then one night while guarded he the sheep with other shepherds, a light shone downward from the sky and spoke with joy some glad words:

“Fear thee not, ye lowly men, for gladfull news I bring, born today is Christ the Lord in the town of Bethlehem.

A Savior he shall be to men to guide them through all danger, and thou shalt find him wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger.”

A multitude of angel host then suddenly appeared, “Glory be to God on high! And peace to men!” they cheered.

The shepherds swift leapt from their watch and raced into the town, to see this thing which hath been said─ their holy king to crown.

The stable low, the man and wife, the Babe hay to sleep. So glad were they to see this boy that quiet was not to keep.

Throughout the town the shepherds cried the gladsome tidings be, and marveled all who heard these words and saw the shepherds’ glee.

Praised God did they, for all He’d shown, their knees they humbly bowed, for greatly blessed were they to see the Light that God had vowed.

And wonder did the lonely man, to watch his fellows sing, and full did burst his heart with joy to gaze upon this King.

No longer did he tremble at the shadows of the night, nor mourn the loss of hearth and kin, nor duck his head in fright.

Hope was born into the world, and a home for great and small ─ and he among the lowest was the first to hear the call.

Now Harken thee to Kasimir, and pray thee ponder well, the birth of our dear Savior Lord, the great Emmanuel!

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And with that, I bid you a very merry Christmas, full of the joy of Christ and the warmth of family and friends!