Christmas suddenly got broken.
Who bumped the branches,
Who kicked the stand.
How did that gust of noninvolvement
Shake the bough so roughly that
A priceless piece shook loose and fell.
No hope of gathering up the shatters
Into something lovely once again.
Only sweeping up the fragments
And rearranging all the others
to make it not so obvious
That something beautiful is gone.

What will heal this wounded day.
Can one corral the scattered shards
Of joy and rescue the important one
To keep alive the gleam of hope
That is the reason to press on.
It cannot be done alone, oh no -
The task requires both hands of two
So with the rising of the sun
Will those ten fingers join with mine
To make a grasp that will not break.
ljm