Poetry list
A Contradiction of Sense
God’s Son is born as cattle low
and heaven’s silent trumpets blow:
the Christ arrives in darkest night
lit by love’s invisible light.
We know this story
but is it really true?
It strains our credibility –
thin on facts and
rich in poetry.
The Bethlehem scene tests us:
everything here
asks us questions
and searches us out
for the rest of time.
The smelly stable
Is now a part of heaven.
The munching beasts
and creaking beams
resound the music of the angels.
The flickering lamp
and pale moonbeams
are flooded by
celestial invisible glory.
Here, all human weakness is met;
all pain and loss is transformed:
by this collision
and these contradictions.
This baby takes us to the cross
and the grave
…but does not leave us there.
Christmas overcomes our power
and invites another.
Truth is never simpler
nor nearer:
the silent trumpets sound and
the darkest light streams in!
God’s Son is born as cattle low
and heaven’s silent trumpets blow:
the Christ arrives in darkest night
lit by love’s invisible light.
© Neil Thompson 2014