Peace

 Peace
by Cecile Joyce Keenan

At Bethlehem the Star shines bright
above the Stable door;
By every road the Wise Men come
who never came before;
The kings, with all their Caravan,
keep watch upon the hill,
While Jesus sleeps on Mary's breast
--and all the guns are still!

The plunder of the world is heaped
about the manger-bed,
Behold! the gifts the Wise Men
brought are stained an awful red.
Poor Mary's face is white and
drawn, and Joseph's grim and
set--
For older hearts, tho' slow to learn,
are slower to forget!

But lo, the Star at Bethlehem above
the Stable door
Shines with a glory in its light that
never shone before!
The haggard hosts of shattered men
out on the battle plain
Have caught the slogan of the skies,
and fling it back again.

"Peace-Peace on Earth!" with
shaken hearts, across the world
they come,
No panoply of war is theirs, no flag,
no rolling drum;
But all are cloaked in spotless
white-the garment fo His
love--
And "Peace" their bursting throats
now sing, and "Peace" the
choirs above!

At Bethlehem the Star shines bright
above the Stable door,
By every road the Wise Men come
who never came before;
The Kings, with all their Caravan,
keep watch upon the hill,
While Jesus sleeps on Mary's
breast--and all the guns are
still!