Christmas Lights Twinkle

Christmas Lights Twinkle
© Surazeus
2023 01 09

When lights of Christmas trees have all gone out 
and leave us blind in cold indifferent night 
we search for twinkling stars still in black sky 
so far above this world of sad decay 
we forget sensation of warm glowing sun 
weaving wordless pleasure deep our bones. 

Extravagant beauty of Christmas lights, 
that blink in slow cadence of settled faith, 
blind our eyes to stark horror of the world 
where starving people scratch at ice-hard dirt 
for carrots and turnips buried in graves 
where corpses of people we love dissolve. 

To comfort us in lightless gloom of night 
the old bearded man with one glaring eye 
describes beautiful paradise of truth 
where the divine carpenter designs forms 
of things that grow and decay over time 
who will take us to dwell in his warm castle. 

Then he lies down on frozen ground of faith 
and turns to stone, skin blue-white as the moon 
who stares at us with silent arrogance, 
so I stand up on edge of the abyss 
to accept golden apple from her hand, 
but fall into the nothingness of hope. 

Christmas lights twinkle high above tall pines 
which sing in mystery of the ancient wind 
who caresses mask of my frozen face 
with moon-white hands of sorrow to reveal 
apple of my heart to eyes of the owl 
sparking flame of strange joy deep in my heart. 

Though lights of Christmas trees have all gone out, 
leaving millions of homes dark in bright snow, 
I walk in eerie glamor of moonlight 
while holding hands with sweet angel of death 
who guides me to the river of time 
where I become wild laughter of the stars.