In the bleak midwinter
The dance is not for everyone
Not all can move in time
But in the hand that's offered
is an old, established sign
The open palm says 'Welcome,'
And the readiness is all.
Still, some refuse the offer;
Not all will heed the call.
Why should they take a stranger's hand?
Why should they dance at all?
It's not as though they all are friends,
Or relatives by blood,
Or even a community where things are understood.
Yet, in the hand that's offered
Is a message, written small:
The open palm says, 'Welcome;'
The readiness is all.
-- Paddy Swanson, (c) 2010, Christmas Revels (Cambridge, MA)
Blessings on this shortest day, and may the turning of the year bring you more joy than recent days have seen for some.
Waes hal, and many happy returns to us all.
Not all can move in time
But in the hand that's offered
is an old, established sign
The open palm says 'Welcome,'
And the readiness is all.
Still, some refuse the offer;
Not all will heed the call.
Why should they take a stranger's hand?
Why should they dance at all?
It's not as though they all are friends,
Or relatives by blood,
Or even a community where things are understood.
Yet, in the hand that's offered
Is a message, written small:
The open palm says, 'Welcome;'
The readiness is all.
-- Paddy Swanson, (c) 2010, Christmas Revels (Cambridge, MA)
Blessings on this shortest day, and may the turning of the year bring you more joy than recent days have seen for some.
Waes hal, and many happy returns to us all.