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.