Thursday, December 28, 2006

A poem for Epiphany

I wrote the following poem on the Feast of the Epiphany, 2000. It appears in the collection "Ridgewalk", but I reproduce it here as a result of reflecting on Christmas without Christ - which is the celebration I see all around, laced with a kind of desperation.

EPIPHANY 2000

Two thousand years after the
star's silent summons
light from the stable still
burns momentarily; the
impermanent Magi still
make their improbable journey.
Perched on the lip
of another era, we
strain to feel the faint
warmth of faith,
kissing the wind of
love's passing, yearning
from our pulsating circuits for
the connection to hold.
And as the moment passes
we look ahead, not at
light's comfort but at the
stark shadow on the hill.

3 comments:

Tim Chesterton said...

Chris, I just discovered your poetry blog via MadPriest. I really like these poems. I've added a link to your site on my own blogroll. I'd like to post one sample of your poems on my blog to encourage my readers (all ten of them, that is!) to check out your site. May I have your permission to do this?

Christine McIntosh said...

That'd be fine, Tim - I take all the publicity I can get. Seriously, I'm more than pleased to find myself in that blogroll - some exalted company there!

Tim Chesterton said...

Ah, yes - in the 'Authors and Poets' section. On the other hand, if you scroll up to the 'musical friends around Edmonton' section, the company gets a little more commonplace!

Seriously - thanks for posting this really fine poetry.