A Poem for Christmas

This is taken for "Earth Prayers From Around the Wold 365 Prayers, Poems and Invocations for Honoring the Earth" edited by Elizabeth Robers and Elias Amidon.

This poem is and adapted from the Gaelic. In the choir we have sung a piece with similar words.

Deep peace of the running wave to you,
of water flowing. rising and falling;
Sometime advancing, sometime receding;
Deep peace of the running wave to you!

Deep peace of the flowing air to you,
which fans your face on a sultry day;
the air which you breathe deeply, rhythmically,
which imparts to you energy, consciousness, life;
Deep peace of the flowing air to you!

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you;
who, herself unmoving, harbours the movements
and facilitates the life of the ten thousand creatures
while resting contented, stable, tranquil;
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you!

Deep peace of the shining stars to you;
which stay invisible till darkness falls
and discloses their pure and shining presence
beaming down in compassion on our turning world
Deep peace of the shining stars to you!

Deep peace of the watching shepherds to you;
of unpretentious folk who, watching and waiting,
spend long hours out on the hillside;
expecting in simplicity some Coming of the Lord
Deep peace of the watching shepherds to you!

Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you,
who, swift as the wave and pervasive as the air,
quiet as the earth and shining like a star;
breathes into us His Peace and His Spirit:
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you!

by Mary Rogers Adapted from the Gaelic

Jeannette Brown