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G.K. Chesterton gave us a marvellous body of poetry along with his other great works. Like his haunting poem, “The House of Christmas“, “A Child of the Snows” captures the chilling imagery of winter, the mystery of Christ’s birth, and our place of communion with Him.

A Child of the Snows

 

There is heard a hymn when the panes are dim,

And never before or again,

When the nights are strong with a darkness long,

And the dark is alive with rain.

 

Never we know but in sleet and in snow,

The place where the great fires are,

That the midst of the earth is a raging mirth

And the heart of the earth a star

 

And at night we win to the ancient inn

Where the child in the frost is furled,

We follow the feet where all souls meet

At the inn at the end of the world. 

 

The gods lie dead where the leaves lie red,

For the flame of the sun is flown,

The gods lie cold where the leaves lie gold,

And a Child comes forth alone.

 

Gilbert Keith Chesterton

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The featured image is courtesy of Aaron Burden. You can see more of his marvellous work on his website or at Unsplash here.

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