"I am tired of this barn!" said the colt.
"And every day it snows.
Outside there's no grass any more
And icicles grow on my nose.
I am tired of hearing the cows
Breathing and talking together.
I am sick of these clucking hens.
I hate stables and winter weather!"
"Hush, little colt," said the mare.
"And a story I will tell
Of a barn like this one of ours
And the wonders that there befell.
It was weather much like this,
And the beasts stood as we stand now
In the warm good dark of the barn --
A horse and an ass and a cow,"
"And sheep?" asked the colt. "Yes, sheep,
And a pig and a goat and a hen.
All of the beasts of the barnyard,
The usual servants of men.
And into their midst came a lady
And she was cold as death.
But the animals leaned above her
And made her warm with their breath.
"There was her baby born
And laid to sleep in the hay,
While music flooded the rafters
And the barn was as light as day.
And angels and kings and shepherds
Came to worship the babe from afar.
But we looked at him first of all creatures
By the bright strange light of a star."
by Elizabeth Coatsworth
I love this poem! It reminds me that life (and our problems) are really just a matter of perspective.It helped me appreciate the wisdom of those older & wiser.
ReplyDeleteThis is a keeper!
What a sweet tale of such a momentous moment, told through the memories of our friends, the beasts of the field. I, too, have an affinity for old barns, with their sweet crisp smell of dried hay, and the warm chuff of cows' breath and the lullabye murmurs of the chickens in their nests.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this wonderful little moment in my day, as I sat down with my too-manyth cup of Yuban, for a moment before I go on to getting the last of the packages to FedEx. The lights are twinkling, the only sounds in the house are the steady whuzzz of the furnace and the crickle-drop of the ice machine. Peaceful and reflective.
I always love to have you drop in at Lawn tea, and wish you the most wonderful blessings of this best of all seasons.
rachel
Kathy, beautiful poem!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you were able to get some sleep without meds. I know exactly how you feel 2 and 3 hours sleep is no good.
sending you a (( hug))
Merry Christmas
We learned this poem in elementary school. Parts of it have always stuck with me. It came to my mind this morning and I searched and found your site. Thank for sharing it here. It is good to see it again.
ReplyDelete