Friday, December 11, 2009

18 Days of Christmas - The Fourth Day



From now until Christmas day I am treating you to foisting upon you our collection of Christmas poems. If I made our cards that year I'll post a picture of that as well. If you missed yesterday's poem, click on the 18 Days of Christmas button in my sidebar. The way you can tell who wrote which poem is to note whose name is listed first at the end.

Oh come, oh come, Emanuel,
Ransom my captive heart.

I look for you in the lights.
I see Santas and Reindeer,
Snowmen and Tin Soldiers,
Crosses and Stars and X-mas trees;
Glowing white Mother and Child
Ringed by plastic wise men.
I cannot see you in the garish glare.

Oh come, oh come, Emanuel,
Pitch your tent within me.

I listen for you in the sounds.
I hear Carols and Classics,
Ancient noels and Santa songs,
Pop and Country and Celtic crooners;
Straining has-been voices
Sing old standards of the season.
I cannot hear you in the brassy blare.

Oh come, oh come, Emanuel,
My soul thirsts for you.

And yet I feel you in my voice
As I take up the old familiar lay.
And yet I feel you in my hands—
Shoe boxes bound for Bosnia’s broken children.
And yet I feel you in my heart—
Amazed at my own good fortune.
And so I feel you, with me.

Oh come, oh come, Emanuel,
Fill me with your glad Noel,
That I may sing anew your song:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emanuel
has come to you (and me)!

Mike & Dana Rhyne
Christmas, 1995

4 comments:

  1. Dana, it's a lovely poem, truly. Is it okay if I admit that something made me laugh hysterically within it?

    Oh come, oh come, Emanuel,
    Pitch your tent within me.


    I know, I know. I'm horribly irreverent. Please forgive me.

    I'm still laughing helplessly. Truly, it's a lovely poem, please don't mistake me, but that was the most unexpected phrasing I've seen in as long as I can remember!!

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  2. Alane - you are funny! I'm so glad it didn't strike me that way at the time or I wouldn't have been able to stand it. It's a Dr. M poem - we definitely have two distinct styles, I think. Althought I try to copy him sometimes.

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  3. I enjoyed this one as well. Just curious if you guys typed these up and put them in a card or sent them as a card...

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  4. Brenda - we usually inserted them in the card. There were a couple of years where I used the poem as the inside message on cards I made - but usually we're too wordy & it won't fit that way LOL. In fact, this year I'm getting ready to see if the poem will work as the card message or if I'll have to do an insert...

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Thanks for stopping by - I'd love to hear what you have to say!

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