Little ones fed,
tucked up in bed
safe and sound
off to a land
of dreamfilled sleep,
stars crystallising canvas
with their glimmering candy
breathing out tinsel dust
which sparkles through the night
as they murmur quiet
while parents scamper
playing patch-up-and-gather.
Same picture, same scene
all the world over.
People want peace
from Paris to Edmonton
to Ankara to Cairo
to Essen and back.
Give us hope for the hopeless,
food for the hungry,
drink for the thirsty
warmth for the freezing,
an arm for the frightened,
light for the stumbling,
strength for the kneeling
and a quiet night for all
those little ones asleep
that they might wake to see
the sun streaming through
an unbroken window.
Harry Gallagher
