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Wednesday, January 15, 2025 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Christmas carol: A baby is born to save us 

Columnist HUGH SELBY takes to poetry with a seasonal message of hope. 

I love the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play

And wild and sweet

Their words repeat

A baby is born to save us

 

Then peel the bells more loud and deep

“Gods are not dead, nor do they sleep”

The wrong shall fail

And right prevail

A baby is born to save us

 

A lone bell wail seeks heaven’s door

Inscribed on which is found this lore 

Search for the dove

Come back with love

A baby is born to save us

 

A great bell tolled, the missile struck

Lives vaporised by mindless luck

Fate cut the threads

Fate spared one bed

A baby is born to save us

 

The bells sound justice, truth, and peace

But first the sounds of war must cease

Now a ceasefire

Our fates still dire

A baby is born to save us

 

Bells are silent, bellringers sleep

Survivors through the ruins creep

Food and water

Sons and daughters

A baby is born to save us

 

Calls to prayer ring out each day

Justice is sought by all who pray

Allah their light

Justice their right

A baby is born to save us

 

The bells and calls reach out to all

Including babies on the crawl

Still free of hate

Any may be great

A baby is born to save us

 

I love the bells each waking day

Their old familiar music plays

And wild and sweet

Their words repeat

A baby is born to save us

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Hugh Selby

Hugh Selby

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2 Responses to Christmas carol: A baby is born to save us 

Peter Graves says: 16 December 2024 at 12:33 pm

And I’ve always liked John lennon’s “Happy Christmas (War is Over)”. Especially th third verse:
And so this is Christmas (War is over)
And what have we done? (If you want it)
Another year over (War is over)
And a new one just begun (Now)
And so happy Christmas (War is over)
We hope you have fun (If you want it)
The near and the dear ones (War is over)
The old and the young (Now)

Especially poignant at this time in world history.

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