Silent Night

For five frigid days, strife raged upon the battlefield. Men bravely struggled, yet neither side would yield. By the flash of cannon fire they became stark silhouettes, As they stormed from the trenches with slashing bayonets! From dusk to dreary dawn there was no respite. Peace it seemed would forever elude that ravaged site. Tonight men recalled the birth of the Prince of Peace. They yearned to set aside their arms and see the battle cease. But on this Yule Eve an eerie silence crept o'er the field, And suddenly from above, a brilliant star was revealed! As thoughts of Christmases past added to their despair, The dulcet voice of a lone soldier wafted through the air. Tho' the words were alien to the Yanks, it was a familiar refrain. 'Twas "Stille Nacht" that drifted across that desolate plain. In their native tongues, foes joined in that ancient carol, Setting aside all enmity, forgetting for a time all peril. For a brief moment, foes embraced in brotherhood. "Peace on earth, good will to men," they understood. But on the 'morrow cannon would again begin to roar, As weary men again took up the terrible weapons of war. Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired (© All Rights Reserved)