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
©Pat Marsh
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