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A Christmas Eve Sestina

“He who sings prays twice.” —Saint Augustine

The vagabond had too much Christmas cheer.
He doesn’t notice that the air is cold
Although his clothes are unseasonably light.
A crowd of carolers comes by to sing
Of Good King Wenceslaus, The First Noel.
Oh, Sir, come hither, take this jacket, pray!

For all unfortunate, the voices pray
(Some silently), exhibiting good cheer
And kindness all year long, not just Noel.
Their hearts are warm against the season’s cold.
Infectious joy evinces as they sing
To that poor soul beneath the dim street light.

Though tipsy, he feels buoyant and light.
He, too, knows God and silently does pray
As he with pleasure listens to them sing
Those songs imparting gaiety and cheer.
No way his heart could feel alone and cold
On this, the night before the great Noel.

He’ll worship at a church on this Noel,
He’ll sober up and feel all fine and light
—Some whiskey first, to drink away a cold.
Tomorrow, as in boyhood, he should pray
For one kind girl who showed him warmth and cheer,
Gave him the coat, continuing to sing.

He robbed a store. His partners didn’t sing;
He freely walks about on this Noel.
Eluding cops brings him contemptuous cheer.
He pulls a smoke, asks someone for a light,
Says thank-you, thinks for them he ought to pray;
Alert now, starts to feel December’s cold.

This felon, heart not fully hard and cold,
Soon with the carolers begins to sing
And singing Christian hymns is twice to pray.
He’s not the embodiment of Noel,
He knows, but may approach the One True Light,
Since even sinners for salvation cheer.

In evening cold, this night before Noel,
Some carolers sing neath a city light
And, heartfelt, pray for all to know God’s cheer.

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Mary Gardner is a poet living in Florida.

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8 Responses

  1. Margaret Coats

    A lovely sestina, Mary. I’m particularly impressed with your use of the endwords, recognizing and employing the varied senses of each. As I’m sure you wish, your heartwarming story encourages fervent prayer for “felon hearts not fully hard and cold” on “this night before Noel.”

    Reply
    • Mary Gardner

      Thank you, Margaret. Sestinas are ideal for poets who love words and their meanings. You are exactly right that the intention of this poem is to encourage prayers for the lost and waffling.

      Reply
  3. Gigi Ryan

    Dear Mary,
    I love this poem on many levels – your theme of, “He who sings prays twice,” the beautiful flow of this poem, the clever sestina. But even more I love the mixture of the holy and the common – the beauty of the carolers mixed intertwined with the robber. Because, indeed, it is for the common, the sinner, that this season exits.
    Thank you and Merry Christmas.
    Gigi

    Reply
  5. Paul Freeman

    You hit all the right buttons with this one, Mary. I was reminded of Hans Anderson’s classic, The Little Match Girl.

    Reply
  6. Mary Gardner

    Thank you, Paul. Both the match girl and the drunkard are deeper characters than their observers can discern.

    Reply

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