Jubilance radiates tranquil moments
Young lovers pursue tender embraces
Neighbourhood children join in games
Sweet aromas saturate festive appetites
Families share in a united harmony

Midnight services fill the churches
Choirs sing in joyous proclamation
Nativity scenes and dramas unfold
Ascending praises announce His birth
Jesus Christ, Saviour and Lord

Silence falls before the dawn
Christmas excitement awakes the birds
Gifts exchanged and children squeal
Doorbells ring to kith and kin
Celebrations unfold with festive feast

Church bells echo through the town
God’s people gather near and far
Scripture is read of our Saviours birth
Mankind raise their voices with carols sung
Christians celebrate the birth of Christ

***
Homeless wander deserted streets
For some it’s cold and wet, no heat to find
Others seek relief from the heat filled day
All over the world they suffer and die
Christmas Eve, it’s just another lonely night

Children salvage what they can
They live as refugees in a dying slum
No shelter, no food, no sanitation
They huddle beside smouldering fires
Siblings share their meagre rations

Families left without possessions
Homes destroyed from fire or storm
Sadness fills their hearts and lives
A loved one’s life ended in a moment
Everything they own, gone forever

Royal birth graces a humble stable
His mother lays him in a bed of straw
Angels sing in realms of glory
Shepherds view their newborn king
This weary family rests at last

© Chrissy Siggee

Tags: bells, choir, Christmas, churches, families, joy