I tend the light that guides the ships to rest
A lonely life, surrounded by the sea
And Christmas is the time that I love best
A time to ponder on the things that be.
The hatred in mens' hearts which leads to war
And draws them forth to sail upon the main
To lose their lives upon some foreign shore
For arguments that neither lose, nor gain.
But Christmas is a time that stills all wars
When men shake hands and pray there will be peace
To start afresh, forgetting the old scores,
To look for love, that nevermore may cease.
And still my light revolves, throwing her beams
Through endless darkness, like those Yuletide dreams.
Author notes
In Stave 3 of A Christmas Carol, the Spirit of Christmas Present takes Scrooge on a flight over the sea:
Built upon a dismal reef of sunken rocks, some league or so from shore, on which the waters chafed and dashed, the wild year through, there stood a solitary lighthouse. Great heaps of sea-weed clung to its base, and storm-birds -- born of the wind one might suppose, as sea-weed of the water -- rose and fell about it, like the waves they skimmed.
But even here, two men who watched the light had made a fire, that through the loophole in the thick stone wall shed out a ray of brightness on the awful sea. Joining their horny hands over the rough table at which they sat, they wished each other Merry Christmas in their can of grog; and one of them: the elder, too, with his face all damaged and scarred with hard weather, as the figure-head of an old ship might be: struck up a sturdy song that was like a Gale in itself.
A contest entry
- Characters in Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol by Judith Chandler.
800 points, ended December 16, 2008, 3 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 9 of 9
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May we all be a light in this world, and you captured that spirit awesomely and vividly. Blessings
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For arguments that neither lose, nor gain. That is the truth. Very good Keith, your light revolves. x Debs
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Superb
Tis a fine write, indeed. Imagery; rhythm and rhyme are fine.Thanks for sharing this one with us. Again, well done. -
You really know the book! A very original rhyme and welcome in my contest.
Thank you for entering. -
A beautiful sharing .. .
of a place that should not go without light and metaphorically we should also be lighthouses for those that can't see what to us is so plain. Your Christmas poem has a message that is good year round! j
y
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I like this
This is my hope too, that at Christmas and indeed all times,
"To start afresh, forgetting the old scores,
To look for love, that nevermore may cease."
Unfortunately people like their grudges, and there is nothing I can do about that, I can only change myself.
This is a fine Christmas thought, nice to see a sonnet from you again.
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I have never had much of a liking for Charles Dickens and therefore I have never read "Christmas Carol" so I know not what the basis is for your poem. Nevertheless I find it compelling in the extreme and its premise is oh so true.
Christmas is a time of hope, when men's thoughts turn to the softer and kinder aspects of life and so they hope for a brighter future.
The rhyming that you chose was flawless for it sat easy within my mind and together with the beautiful rhythm it created a truly living picture. This for me is a superb piece of poetry that as soon as it entered my mind it was alive.
Well done, a masterful write!!
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Cool, I remember the part you are talking bout. I read the book as well as seen every version of "A Christmas Carol" movie. Good luck to you in the contest.
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this is great!
i love the flow
wow you wrote an amazing piece. its great how you describe things here.
i really enjoyed reading this.
your Faerie
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