December Poems
Frost Patterns
Photo taken by Flickr.com user Mark Robinson,
December 7, 2010.
Creative Commons License
DECEMBER by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Riding upon the Goat, with snow-white hair,
I come, the last of all. This crown of mine
Is of the holly; in my hand I bear
The thyrsus, tipped with fragrant cones of pine.
I celebrate the birth of the Divine,
And the return of the Saturnian reign;–
My songs are carols sung at every shrine.
Proclaiming “Peace on earth, good will to men.”
***
A Calendar of Sonnets: December by Helen Hunt Jackson
The lakes of ice gleam bluer than the lakes
Of water ‘neath the summer sunshine gleamed:
Far fairer than when placidly it streamed,
The brook its frozen architecture makes,
And under bridges white its swift way takes.
Snow comes and goes as messenger who dreamed
Might linger on the road; or one who deemed
His message hostile gently for their sakes
Who listened might reveal it by degrees.
We gird against the cold of winter wind
Our loins now with mighty bands of sleep,
In longest, darkest nights take rest and ease,
And every shortening day, as shadows creep
O’er the brief noontide, fresh surprises find.
***
In December, we often think also of Advent poems, some of which have become favorite Christmas carols. Poetry, music, Scripture, and history come together in the service of Lessons and Carols, as explained by Dr. Timothy McDonnell:
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You might also like to look back at November poems, or look ahead to January poems.
