All Calm, All Bright: Christmas Offerings

By Michael R. Collings

"All Calm, All Bright" reflects the many facets of Christmas, from meditations on sacred Scripture to explorations of Christmas in daily life; from the serious to the light, at times even playful; from lyric poems to verse-cantatas for readers and choirs/congregations, and a prose fable for children on the virtues of selflessness, "How Santa's Reindeer Learned to Fly." Although particularly appropriate for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the offerings in "All Calm, All Bright" will appeal as well to readers of all denominations.

Wildside Press, 7 November 2007
Trade paperback
$13.99
148 pages
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From ALL CALM, ALL BRIGHT:

                            Writha*

Day’s light dies early on deep December nights;
It is day’s death, and year’s death, too.
Twilight wanes and wastes to embered wanness,
And sunset’s sighing breath expires.

Shepherd stars emerge from amber stables
To watch where wandering night might stray;
They spread their sheen on shadowed land or sea—
Ice-furred, they fling their light-filled frost.


We gather in the white-soft glow of stars;
We weave our words—bare crystal wraiths—
To wreaths of winter carols, low and clear,
That bind with boughs of mistletoe.

Dark night, deep stars, and descant evergreens
All merge in Christmas mysteries
To bring us to that Night, that distant Birth,
And sing us sweetly to His cradle-side.
                           
                              [*Old English: “That which is wound around”]


                            WRITING NATIVITY
                            A Kyrielle

At Christmas-time I take to pen,
          Attempt the burden once again,
(Immured in sensitivity)
          To rhyme upon “Nativity.”

The effort will elicit smiles
          While challenging my verbal wiles,
Indulging my proclivity
          To rhyme upon “Nativity.”

Two stanzas into this I find
          It’s hard to call rhyme-words to mind;
I race down my declivity,
          To rhyme upon “Nativity.”

And as I do, I see—amazed
          (Though critics often say I’m dazed)—
My signal productivity,
          To rhyme upon “Nativity.”

But I don’t care; my poem’s done
          (Almost)—and once again I’ve won!
What imaginativity!
          To rhyme upon “Nativity”!

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Also available through

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