Snow on the Winter Solstice

This is neither poetry, nor drabble. It an attempt at an entry for the Holy Worlds Christmas Contest, one of many so far. It is 145 words of whimsical wintriness. Please enjoy it, and give it a purpose for it's writing.

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Your footsteps crunch on the new fallen snow. A wet branch hits you in the face, and you giggle. Snow covers your hair and shoulders. Evergreen trees contrast sharply with the white, but everywhere else is black and brown.

Where are you going, little one? Don’t you know what day it is? It is the first day of winter, the shortest day of the year. Are you afraid that the sun won’t come back after tonight?

Don’t be. The snow is a gift, and the darkness is a gift too. The sunshine will come in the morning, the snow will melt away, and there will be only brown and dullness.
But spring will come, bringing more green leaves to join the evergreens, and you will laugh again. You enjoy the snow, don’t you? Just don’t stay out too long, and don’t come in all wet.

Carol of the Bells

Hark how the bells.

Chiming, calling, pleading, begging
Speaking sharply through the night
Speaking secrets never answered
Into ever dimming light

Sweet silv’ry bells.

Shining, swinging, clanging, ringing
Echoing o’er the empty city
Dimming, swelling, growing, singing
Speaking words of joy so free

All seem to say,

Fear not, know not, dare not answer
Leave me, know me, love me,
Ever ringing,
Ever calling,
Ever trusting to forever…

Throw cares away,

Hark to bells that ever call,
Across the city. Listen all
To chimes and peals and songs of might
They ring out old and ring in light

Christmas is here.

Silent Night

Silent night
A child’s voice
Cuts through the stillness.

I lift my head
And listen
In wonder

The tears dry on my face
The wind plays with my hair.
The stars shine cold and merciless.

The voice stops.
I shiver in the silence.
For a moment I forgot,
Who I am and what I’ve done.

Then I remember.
And I weep again.

The wind is gentle,
But it cannot speak the words I need to hear.

The stars are silent witnesses,
Stern judges.

They condemn me.
There is no mercy for one such as I.

The voice sings again.

Forgiveness.