Carols at Midnight

Cherry

By marandina

Fri, 27 Dec 2024
  • 1912 reads
10 comments
 

Carols at Midnight

Light from a votive candle

flickers – candescent,

smells of incense

permeate the pews.

Beyond a prayer book

stone floor seems stoic,

borderland confessional,

solemn in quiescence.

Yews silhouette

stain-glass windows,

silent people milling,

slowly filling seats.

I think of those gone,

ghosts from my past

redolent of other times,

the echoes.

Hymns, seasonal carols

sung in adulation,

songs intoned in unison,

nobody is alone tonight.

The Holly and the Ivy,

winter incantations

as doubt taps my shoulder,

languid like lamp oil.

I am the last to leave,

rain falling in darkness,

bells peal in rime,

a scarlet dawn beckons.

 

Audio version at: https://soundcloud.com/user-62051685/carols-at-midnight-alt-1

 

Image free to use via WikiCommons at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:D%C3%BClmen,_Hausd%C3%BClmen,_So...

Certificate PG
Poem
Miscellaneous Poems
Spiritual

Comments

Submitted by celticman on

christmas carols let your festive season breath. 

 

Submitted by marandina on

Really appreciate you looking in as always, CM. Thanks again.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

A lovely reflective poem Paul.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks, Jenny. Happy New Year to you :)

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for the cherries, eds. Much appreciated.

 

Submitted by Turlough on

a scarlet dawn beckons

 

Those words can mean so much at this time of year.

Nice one Paul. I hope the festivities in your house were all you had hoped they would be, and more.

Turlough

Submitted by marandina on

Cheers, T.

May 2025 bring us promotion to the Premier League or further qualification for the CL.

As Shankly said "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that." It was summat like that anyway.

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Ahh, Shanks and Revie were great mates back then, as were Leeds and Liverpool fans. It's different now. I miss those days.

For 2025 I want us to either go up in an automatic promotion spot or finish seventh. Another stab at the play-offs would destroy me.

And good luck Villa! It's nice to see the top six not being the top six anymore.

Turlough

Submitted by Kris on

As righteous as this is, it comes to life on Soundcloud in 3D with visions...

yes

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks again, Kris.

The poem went through numerous iterations before landing with this version. It's a clumsy attempt to understand being alone at Christmas.

I think the audio is probably better than the written words. Ho hum..