All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.
From "Journey of the Magi" - T. S. Eliot
Pictured above is a sheet metal poinsettia, which was given to me by a co-worker some years ago. It's a favorite from my collection of Christmas kitsch.
I love this poem. Thank you for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteDiane, I love it, too. Intimations of the death of Jesus are present at his birth.
ReplyDeleteOf course, we are all born to die, a grim thought that we want to avoid when we experience the joy of a new life coming into the world.
Yawn............
ReplyDeleteFred, I'm sorry if you're bored, but it is still Christmas according to the liturgical calendar, which I enjoy following more every year, as I age.
ReplyDelete