Christmas 1914 France

The trenches were quiet that night
An occasional report from a snipers rifle
No barrage of cannon fire or gas
The life was hell wet and dark
Living in trenches in what had been
a farmer’s field
It was Christmas Eve
At Midnight a a silent winter moon
Then in the frost and snow a single voice
Singing in its native German
That loveliest of carols oh Holy Night
The beautiful old song of Christmas praise
Drifted over the no man’s land
between the trenches
The British soldiers listened in respectful silence.
When the carol; was finished
A young British soldier stood up in the trench
and sang Silent Night in his native English.
All over this place e of madness and death
a common strand of sanity filled their hearts.
In silence some soldiers walked out of the trenches
Into no man’s land the Germans did the same
No weapons they were just ordinary men
Shaking hands exchanging gifts
of cigarettes and chocolate.
Showing each other pictures of wives and children
A makeshift soccer field was made
And some young men played a game
At the end of the day they returned
Christmas was over
The madness resumed