No silent night, no sugar coating, or gloating

of a picture postcard experience, transcending

the realities of making do and mending.

Never mind fairy tales of then and here and now,

never mind the absence of sand or snow, still the cow

and sheep and the wayward herd needs tending.

Let not the cold and damp dampen our hearts,

let not the early starts dim our view, or darken our parts

in this season. It is still Christmas. Peace.