Pilgrims Trekking

A tiny hamlet tucked away midst the mountains of New Hampshire A chill in the air; frost on the windowpane, icicle-framed A fresh snow blanketing the ground; the silence of the holiday broken by the pealing of the late-afternoon bells atop the village church Stores shuttered, roads empty, save the occasional out-of-towner Pilgrims trekking through snowdrifts, puffs of breath suspended in the air Hearty greetings ringing out, piercing the quiescence, warming the soul Lights switched on house by house, lamps pointing the way to Prayer Three hundred people now gathered together in the village Church Some neighbors, others friends; some acquaintances, few strangers Three hundred people, on that Thursday in late November, united in gratitude for all the blessings of the day, the Holiday, Thanksgiving Day, 1971 I too was there that day, proud to call those Pilgrims my brothers, my sisters Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men -- from a tiny New Hampshire glen. Amen.