My friend Sean called me and challenged me to a little competition as to who could create the best Christmas poem. (I later found out that he had already written his before calling me.) I accepted and finished late yesterday. Enjoy and do leave comments as to what you like about each poem. (You may also vote for best.) Maybe next year more can join in the competition.
The Incarnation
©2008 Sean McGinty
The birthing cry announces the situation.
Into space, time and this dreary ghetto town
Comes something new, at least from our perception.
Joy, hope, fear embodied has to us come down.
This child will bring about the end, In one way or another, of all. The turning point of the immutable trend Set about by the most treacherous of falls. Our friends and lovers have failed and left. All our expectations have crashed down on our heads. God help us, the poor, the lonely, the bereft, The sick, the tired, the living, the dead. We who swallow our tears cry out And tonight we are answered. Blinding hosts invade to tell about The long sought cure for our cancer. These winter rifts will soon be healed. The tattered things, certainly mended. Tombs of every sort will be unsealed, And this aching darkness ended. Peace upon our wretched hearts, Peace upon our addled brains. Sin resolved by our Lord’s art Of drawing mercy from His pain.
Christmas Chiasmus
©2008 Christopher Hall
And the Word became flesh. The King of Glory descending, Took on humanity. Unplumbed of mysteries; In pure humility He left his throne condescending. Human and Divine mesh. Born fallen man to redeem, Like us in every respect; Unlike Adam he obeyed The Saviour committed no wrong; And the whole Law he portrayed; Yes, sin did he reject. Repealed Adam’s curse as theme. Agreed before all time Mercy to shower mankind. God’s wrath on God pourèd; Our covenant curses he took; His ire now assuagèd. Grace toward us God aligned; God Triune in full rhyme. This mystery ushers us praise; Praise for his complete redemption! The Trinity in Unity, Exalt the Triune God who secured life! Lo, Unity in Trinity. Praise for God’s wrought salvation! In song let us our voices raise. Works we could not do; Adam fully did deprave Seed, Hope is Christ, keeping Covenant blessings does he give To his chosen. Sweeping Second Adam burst the grave; His pure work makes all new. By his perfect life and death, Our guilt he exchanged. Evil broken evermore, The Saviour left undone no good. His people’s sin he bore And our nature he changed. His righteousness bequeaths breath. God and man: Jesus, Second Person of Trinity. Come to earth, humbly born, In hypostatic union, To be counted forlorn. Son of God from eternity, And he dwelt among us.
