Headlong to Christmas

the rush

has begun

and we know

it can only get worse
as we race
headlong
towards
what passes
for the celebrations of your birth

holy child

give us
islands of stillness
in the frenzy of preparation

give us snatches

of peace
amid the tensions
of others’ expectations

and in the excesses

of the shopping mall
remind us
of the simple poverty
of the stable

holy child

as we rush towards Christmas
give us your stillness
your peace
your simplicity

give us especially

the gift of yourself