Christmas Poetry 2007

December 19, 2010January 25, 2011 Joseph Dewey

This entry is part 11 of 28 in the series Christmas Messages

Here are two Christmas related poems. The first was written for the Keys group in 2007 and the second written in the Sixties for a college paper. Enjoy.

Through His Eyes

The Master rested from his work and arose
It was that time of the year again
The time that the nations celebrated his birth
And give gifts one to another.

He stood up and looked West
And saw to the East, and to the North and the South.
“What are the minds of men thinking this year?”
Was the thought that demanded an answer.

“Has the world made any progress?
“Is the consciousness of Christ that is in me ready to manifest in them?”
“If I go to them will they let me teach them,
Or will they crucify the Son of God anew?”

His eyes pierced the veil and he saw a man scolding his friends.
“You do not honor Christ by celebrating his birth on an old pagan holiday.
“Your giving gifts does not honor Him.
“Your celebrations are a mockery he would scorn.”

But the Master looked into the hearts of his friends
And saw the consciousness of Christ taking birth.
One had donated gifts to poor children;
Gifts that made them feel like God cared for them.

Another gave more than he could afford to a Bell Ringer
And this lifted the spirits of the downtrodden.
Another sent a package to a soldier all alone away from home.
His heart was glad and felt peace in the midst of war.

The Master sent his thoughts to the mind of the scornful man.
“It is true that human materialism comes through at Christmas “But so too does the better part of the human spirit.
“Some of the forgotten are remembered and give glory to God.”

He looked again and saw a Father troubled by a recent divorce,
separated from his children.
His ex-wife hated him and tore up all his letters and trashed his presents.
This Christmas a letter and presents came again, but this time she
thought of Christ,
Her heart was softened and the children saw the words “I love you, from Dad.”

The Master looked far away and saw a man who had lost his faith.
Poor fellow was about to glare at the skies and curse God for his troubles.
A knock came at the door – young carolers sang with giving spirit.
The words and melodies gave new birth to his wounded heart – he would
try and believe again.

Again he looked and saw a man hurriedly driving through the snow,
late for a Christmas party.
He spotted a car stuck off the road and was about to pass by, but
then stopped for that’s what Jesus would do.
It was a lady on the way to the hospital to see her father before he died.
He helped her on her way, was late for the party but on time for Christmas.

The Master looked again and again and saw good works that may have
not been done if not for Christmas.
His heart was gladdened
Not because Christmas was as he designed
Not because humanity was particularly spiritual.
Not because they gave gifts
Not even because this was his birthday, for it is not.

His heart was gladdened because those who paused to think of his
message this season
Went the extra mile in helping their fellowmen,
And lifted their spirits.
Perhaps when every day is Christmas there will be peace on earth good
will to men.
Perhaps.

The Light of Christmas

The snow falls.
The bells ring.
Male and female hand in hand,
Communication.
Passing lights and colors.
Music in the air,
A spirit of gaiety is there.
The music rings: “par-um-pum-pum-pum,”
Everyone hears the boy and his drum;
And the heart of all begins to burn
Kindled by music that exalts the mind,
Like the Spirit at Pentecost.
Felt though unspoken, even by he who feels lost.

Boys and girls, their eyes reflecting wonderment,
Glow bright, then dim, then bright,
Have no thoughts to hide…
Purity inside.

A youth buying presents, though not enough,
His friends buy more and get more than he.
He wants to be someone else, somewhere else.

Men and women walking, many Christmases in their past;
The brightness of their eyes fading with the years,
Worn by experience.
The glimmer there is a reflection from their children.
As the moon reflects the light of the sun,
The light of Christmas belongs to the little ones;
We must see through their eyes.

Next: Christmas Message 2008

Christmas Message 2008

December 19, 2010January 25, 2011 Joseph Dewey

This entry is part 12 of 28 in the series Christmas Messages

Sacrifice

I guess it’s about time I gave my Christmas message, albeit a little late. As you know I wanted to see Valkyrie and comment on it first.

And what does Valkyrie have to do with Christmas?

True sacrifice.

And what does sacrifice have to do with Christmas?

Answer: The core message of Jesus and the Piscean Age he represented was sacrifice.

His life was a great example of sacrifice culminating with his crucifixion on the cross. This symbol has inspired billions to come to and believe in the Christian religion.

It is interesting that each age is a schooling period to teach humanity an understanding and correct use of the key word. So it was with the principle of sacrifice. At first humanity had little understanding of it, save a few. The few went forth and sacrificed themselves in order that love and light may increase in the earth.

The many, however, sacrificed to an outer god. That god was merely a man or individuals giving commands in the name of God so sacrifice was directed toward their personal gain.

For 2000 years the vast majority of humanity sacrificed for the outer gods. And what was achieved? The sacrifice itself achieved nothing outwardly except to enrich the pockets of the pretenders. There was an inward benefit however.

When the sacrificer gives in sincerity, with pure intent, even though his gift is misused, the heart of the giver is strengthened. This prepares him to truly give when the day of real opportunity comes.

In the movie “Valkyrie” a small band of men and their wives gave true sacrifice, not to a god without, but to destroy such a god. Some have called their efforts a failure because they did not stop the great antichrist, but in the wider picture they set an inspiring example of what true sacrifice was meant to be. The effect was subtle and meaningful. Their example has caused many to contemplate the virtue of the few standing up to the many trapped in illusion.

This action and others like it in history are the true fruits of sacrifice that we do not want to discard as we sort through that which we should keep dear to our hearts around this principle as we enter into a new age.

The key word for the coming age is service. True sacrifice of the past has paved the way for true service and the fruits thereof.

Sacrifice which bears fruit leads to service, and is the true lesson left to us by Christ and most appropriate to reflect upon this Christmas season.
Posted 2008-12-31 04:29:00

Next: Christmas Message 2009

Christmas Message 2009

December 19, 2010January 25, 2011 Joseph Dewey

This entry is part 13 of 28 in the series Christmas Messages

A Place to Lay His Head

“And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” (Matt 8:20)
The son of man who is also the Son of God looked out upon the world on Christmas day and thought deeply within himself…

“They sing hymns and carols in my honor, they give gifts in memory of me, they pray to the Most High in my name, they say they want me to reveal myself again, but do they really?

“Even after 2000 years is there yet a place for me to lay my head?

“Yes, there is a humble soul, a point of light scattered here and there across the planet and through the ages I have spoken peace to their hearts and they know I am with them.

“My call for things greater has been echoing across the cycles of time, for did I not say: ‘Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them’?

“Where are the two or three? The twelve and twenty-four? The 12,000 and the 144,000? Where is the gathering needed for a place to lay my head?

“Where are even the two who hear the voice of the soul as one and see eye to eye? Verily I say two must see eye to eye and rest in the great peace of God before the twelve and twenty-four become one.

“Yes, two or three come together now and then, but then soon part and see with multiple eyes, eyes that share not my sight and see not that which I see that brings unspeakable joy. They are so close — yet so far — they touch the body, yet the many feel not the living heart of God together.”

The Master arose and turned his head away from the world toward the darkness of space. I could not see his face, but I thought I felt his heart and I wept. I was not strong enough to hold back my tears. I wondered within myself. Was I picking up the feelings and thoughts of this great being? If I could see his face which was turned away, would I see the same tears that I shed?

I blinked my blurry eyes trying to focus and the son of man who is the Son of God was gone but within my heart a heavenly fire did burn and these words of peace did come:

“My son, rejoice, even in the divine sorrow you feel with me, for without this we could not have the fullness of joy that comes when the many become one. This coming together is decreed before the foundations of the earth was laid and it will happen. Look to the future and feel the joy as you walk in the valley of separated souls. The union of souls will happen and it will be soon if each person tuned to my heart fulfills his role.

“Then I will have a place to lay my head and we will be home together in the house of my Father.”
Posted 2009-12-25 04:01:00

Chapter Two

February 20, 1998July 30, 2013 Joseph Dewey

This entry is part 3 of 22 in the series Free Book

CHAPTER TWO
The Mystery of the Bells

Since Elizabeth became ill I had done most of our shopping and must admit I got pretty good at it. I clipped coupons, checked for sales, compared store brands with national brands and much more. I got to the point where I somewhat enjoyed shopping and would probably still do most of it even if Elizabeth was healed.

As I drove up to Albertsons supermarket at 16th and State Street in our fair city of Boise, Idaho, I noticed for the first time that Christmas decorations were up and Christmas trees were for sale. I wasn’t sure if decorations had just been put up or if this was just the first time I had noticed. It seemed like Thanksgiving had just ended, and it was too early to even think about Christmas. I felt a little like Scrooge as I got out of my car thinking about all the presents I had to buy compared to how few I would receive. I remember thinking as I entered the building how it would be a lot better if Christmas came once every five years.

Then, as I opened the door, all thoughts left me … I heard the bells! They were the same bells I heard in my quasi-sleep, but this time I was sure that I was awake and the bells were real. I retreated back out the door and turned around. To my surprise I saw a bell ringer for the Salvation Army!

I was amazed that I had not connected the bells I heard in my sleep with those of the bell ringers. Somehow I did not remember them sounding like the bells I heard in front of me. The sound of these bells seemed to be so pure, sweet and almost holy. Perhaps I had just never listened to them before.

The bell ringer was a good-looking older man around sixty years of age, clean shaven with dark hair and simply dressed. Some bell ringers look like they could have been taken from a homeless shelter, but this one did not give that impression. He was a far cry from looking like an executive, but he also gave the impression that he would never be down and out. If I were to guess his vocation by his looks I would guess that he was a high school teacher or maybe even a real estate salesman like myself.

After I had looked his direction for about thirty seconds, he caught my eye and said: “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” I said as I retreated back into the store in a state of bewilderment.

As I went through my wife’s shopping list I tried to find meaning in it all.

I heard bells on my awakening three days in a row and now I heard the same bells here at the grocery store by a Salvation Army bell ringer. At the time I heard the bells I was thinking like Scrooge about Christmas. Maybe I was being taught some supernatural lesson like in the movie. Perhaps I was being told that I should donate to the poor.

Financially, I was feeling like one of the poor myself, for I had gone heavily into debt and had no extra money because of Elizabeth’s illness. Nevertheless, perhaps I was supposed to take my mind off my own concerns and think of others who have problems.

By the time I finished shopping, I decided to give the bell ringer a donation on the way out. It wasn’t much, but maybe it was what I was supposed to do.

As I passed by the pot, I dropped in a five dollar bill. The bell ringer looked me in the eye and said: “Thanks. Have a Merry Christmas.”

There was something about the look in his eyes that disturbed me. He seemed to have large eyes with large pupils and the look about him reinforced the idea of a teacher in my mind. There was something about his look that made me feel that he knew things that I did not. I had never felt that way about a stranger before, but that is how I felt about this man.

I got in the car and started driving home and passed another store that appeared to have a bell ringer. I parked again and walked toward the bells and stopped in front of the man. I was stunned. These bells sounded similar, but not exactly like the first bell ringer or those heard in my dream state.

This piqued my curiosity, so for the next couple of hours I drove all over town and visited every bell ringer I could find. Each one of them sounded similar to the second bell ringer. Only the first bell ringer created a sound like the bells that I remember hearing in my sleep. Then I began to wonder if my mind was playing tricks on me. Maybe I just thought those first bells were like those in my dream state.

Elizabeth was upset that I was gone so long shopping; she had worried about me. She quickly calmed down as I explained to her what happened. I ended with, “Maybe it was just my imagination that the first bell ringer sounded like the ones that I heard on waking.”

“And maybe it wasn’t,” she said. “Maybe it is a sign of some kind. Perhaps you were just supposed to remember the spirit of Christmas and give what you can afford and that’s all there is to it.”

“Maybe,” I said, not convinced she was right.

I felt unsettled about any explanation we could arrive at about the bells. The next morning, as I lay between wakefulness and sleep, I became even more unsettled as I heard the bells again. This time I heard them resonate for a few seconds after I was fully awake. I knew now that the bells were not from my imagination. I also knew that the message of the bells was not resolved.

After I shared this with Elizabeth she said: “Your guess that you are supposed to have a more giving spirit may be correct. The last time you gave five dollars. That’s probably about all we have given to the poor all year. Think about it. That’s not much of a donation. I know we don’t have much money, but we can do better than that.”

“You’re right,” I said. “This time I will give fifty dollars. That’s about all we can afford, but we can give that much.”

I took off again to Albertsons at 16th Street and approached the bell ringer again. Again I heard the beautiful sound. They were definitely the same sound that I heard on waking. As I started to appreciate their beauty, I felt my whole body and soul resonate to the vibration of the bells. Somehow they made me feel whole, peaceful, strong, connected.
It’s difficult to give you the picture, but the effect was definite and strong. I put two twenties and a ten in the pot, looked at the bell ringer and said, “Merry Christmas.”

“Your gift is greatly appreciated,” said the bell ringer.

I started walking backward, catching the eye of the bell ringer for a few seconds before we disconnected. Again, I felt unsettled as I drove home.

After I got home, I told Elizabeth: “Giving the fifty dollars was a good thing to do, but I don’t think it was the answer. Suppose that the answer has nothing to do with the bells, Christmas, the spirit of giving, but something else?”

“What else could it be?” she asked.

“Maybe it’s got something to do with the man — the bell ringer.”

“You said you felt he was different?”

“Yes. He was different. Maybe he knows something.”

“If you hear the bells again then maybe you should check him out,” she said.

Chapter Three

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