for christmas day

Did Mary say to Joseph tenderly,
'Such little hands, such little feet!
They be like little shells we've found beside the sea,
the sea of Galilee'?

And did wise Joseph answer,
'For love's sake our love shall shelter Him, inclose, and hold,
As the low hills about that silver lake shelter it, fold on fold'?

Across the stable, like a wind-a breath-
'The wicked have inclosed Me,' it saith.
'Thou hast brought Me into dust of death.'
Into the dust of death.

And then did Joseph's father-like surprise,
As round his finger little fingers curled,
Call smiles and tears to Mary's mother-eyes?
He clings who'll save the world.

And as the Child in His soft manger lay,
Did gentle oxen in their language say,
'A mangerful of our sweet-smelling hay --
Our gift this Christmas day'?

Again that breath -- An unregarded tree
is growing somewhere, making wood to be,
One awful day, the Cross of Calvary.
The Cross of Calvary.

O Lord, we adore Thee!
The wicked did inclose Thee;
Pierced were Thy hands and feet for us -for me-
O Child of Bethlehem,
Christ our dear Redeemer,
We come and we adore Thee,
We come and we adore Thee,
We come and we adore Thee,
Christ our Lord.

Merry Christmas everyone!

*Poem by Amy Carmichael