I am wishing for some snow this Christmas season. Today is so warm I have the front door open while I bake cookies but it seems wrong when it's Christmas cookies I'm making. Isn't the snow supposed to be blowing about the eaves, the wind howling, the fire blazing? But no, none of these is the case.
I know I should not complain. After all, winter is only a few days old and the cold and wind and all the rest will surely be here soon. In the meantime, I'll make do by sharing one of my favorite poems for this time of year, a poem written by Christina Rossetti published in 1904 posthumously, and set to music by Gustav Holst around 1906. I do not find winter bleak at all, but her poem captures winter so well--earth as hard as iron, water like a stone, snow on snow on snow. Beautiful. And spiritual too, with her
In the Bleak Midwinter
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
Enjoy while you finish your holiday preparations--and I'll save some cookies for you too.
Another from 2003--it was a pretty winter that year.
Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
Enjoy while you finish your holiday preparations--and I'll save some cookies for you too.
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| Another from 2003--it was a pretty winter that year. |
Snow is lovely, in pictures. I'm hoping for a warm and dry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteHope you have the white one you're wanting.
I love this song as well. Have you heard James Taylor's version? Just lovely.
ReplyDeleteI put my annual Christmas story up on my blog, if you're interested in taking a look.
Merry Christmas to you, and I hope some snow comes your way soon!
=)
Beautiful images! Here it's been raining for the past two days, but the temperature has been teetering on cold enough for the rain to to freeze as it falls...still keeping a fire going, just to feel cozy!
ReplyDeleteI hope you and yours have a lovely Christmas, Sue :)