Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Christmas Bells

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."

I love this poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  It reminds me of one of my favorite Christmas memories, when my family was traveling in Florence.  We ate dinner on Christmas Eve at a place called Buca Mario that consisted of bread, olive oil, wine, and several courses in between.  Then we walked back to our hotel full and sleepy and later awoke to hear bells ringing all across the city for Christmas. 

Hearing church bells is one of my most favorite things.  And while we're on the subject of favorite things, I suspect it comes from a scene in The Sound of Music (the first movie I ever saw).  There's one part where they show a boy ringing a church bell just before Maria marries Capt. Von Trapp.  That sound is just so joyful, but I think I like it because it also evokes something "old world" to me. 

Well, if James Lipton ever asks me his list of questions, I guess I've got one down!

Happy Christmas.