A Winter Solstice Poem

Dec 25, 2011 | 0 comments

Last night we visited the Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery, which is a hub of activity on Christmas Eve. Hundreds of people decorated the graves of their relatives with luminarias, mini-Christmas trees, multicolored lights, and mini-displays complete with music. The video below shows the extent of the holiday decorations lighting up the night. The poem I’m reading during the video is Winter Solstice by Isaac C. Eastvold. The text of the poem is below.

Christmas Eve Mt. Calvary Cemetery 2011

Winter Solstice

At the still center

Of the turning world,

All that was gone

Returns,

All that was daemonic

Is again made human.

Even as a goodly garden brings

Birdsong to its branches.

Effortlessly, irresistibly,

By the simple virtue

Of its own sweet grace,

So now the winter light

Opens a clear place

In the heart of shadows

Where all is restored,

Where all are born again.

— Isaac C. Eastvold, © 2009 (used with permission)

Jingle Bell Grave
A Good Goodbye