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Poem
Advent
by
Rick Folker
December, 2017

"... you know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake ... the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light." Rom. 13:11-13

The light this December
seems somehow, somewhat 
dissipated and weak.

It struggles to shine, to show forth 
a joyous, hopeful season, fulsome with
nervous anticipation of a new birth - A Savior!

In awe and wonder we hear of of this 'annointed one'
who cries in his crib;
in a ghetto or a flavella with other outcasts, other suffering servants.
He is offering comfort, care, and consolation 
for those still strong enough to seek, to survive,
and maybe even to thrive?

Yet; this humble, hopeful birth is over-shadowed
by a fog of fear,
a paralyzing despair 
of a people  clinging to old tired myths
and lies re-told, re-learned, renewed
once the season is past and our hope
is kicked to the curb with the old tree
and the tawdry tinsel trash.

We seem to shrink from this fading, weak light 
in December so that we might remain 
in a shadow world of un-checked shame, hidden traumas, 
and night stalking terrors, whilst continuing to blame blame blame
all the while avoiding the healing that must be exposed
to the new day; that requires us to be awake.

So tired of it all, yet we remain in our addiction
to the game, and impatient for the promised morn
when the Savior promised he would come again
we retreat to the safety of sleep and vow to ignore
the stark, post-nativity demands of that sweet
Savior newborn.

However...

I choose, this December
to embrace the fading, waning, weak light
and embrace my frightened shadow self 
and expose it to the healing light

I will awake and blindly feel my way up from the
cave of darkness, that fetid stench of fear,
and put an end to that long, lonely night

Then with a tremulous, yet confident voice
I will sing boldly with my 
fellow wounded pilgrims:

Silent night
Holy night
The hopes and fears
Of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
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