In
the winter of 1914 World War I had just begun
The
race to the sea and the building of trenches for safety from the big guns
What
was thought by the Germans before they were stopped at the Marne River
To
be a short war to be ended before Christmas and its ice and snow and falling
temperature shivers
Became
a great killing field with gains measured in thousands of bodies and a few
worthless yards
Caught
the generals completely at a loss and completely off guard
Men
caked in mud, covered in lice with the surrounding terrain a swiss cheese of shell
holes
Digging
trenches and dugouts deeper and deeper reduced to living to survive like moles
To
the politicians and generals far from the front a time to achieve glory
To
the grunts at the front the reasons for war quickly gone with little that was
hunky dory
After
week upon week in a subhuman hell
Chased
without mercy by grenades, bullets and
shells
On
Christmas Eve the Germans starting singing Christmas carols that seemed to warm
the cold winter night
Time
to end this war, time to end the killing and maiming on the Eve of Christ’s
birth that was out of place, not right
The
Germans, French and Brits with a great leap of trust came up out of their
trenches armed not with guns but small gifts
To
exchange and sing carols together, to smoke without fear of a sniper’s bullet, to
feel the spirit of Christmas uplift
The
Christmas Truce as it became known lasted into Christmas Day
For
a few hours they put down their arms and would not the other side slay
Fast
forward to today and view the bitterness in the Swamp that is proving so hard
to drain
CNN
in a snit over Trump’s “Fake News” will attendance at the White House Christmas
party for media refrain
If
the soldiers in the trenches could a truce to hostilities of killing and
maiming declare
Why
cannot CNN in the spirit of Christmas and Goodwill to Men not go for a few
hours for goodwill to share?
Just
another example of the great partisan divide that has sown the seeds of
distrust and gridlock
And
why the Blues will obstruct to the bitter end Trump’s agenda and needed tax
cuts try to block.
© November 29, 2017, Michael P. Ridley
aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to
Admire
Poet
Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive Lasting Lift
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive Lasting Lift
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