Well for youth to seek the strong, <br />Beautiful, and brave! <br />We, the old, who walk along <br />Gently to the grave, <br />Only pay our court to thee, <br />Child of all Eternity! <br /> <br />We are old who once were young, <br />And we grow more old; <br />Songs we are that have been sung, <br />Tales that have been told; <br />Yellow leaves, wind-blown to thee, <br />Childhood of Eternity! <br /> <br />If we come too sudden near, <br />Lo, Earth's infant cries, <br />For our faces wan and drear <br />Have such withered eyes! <br />Thou, Heaven's child, turn'st not away <br />From the wrinkled ones who pray! <br /> <br />Smile upon us with thy mouth <br />And thine eyes of grace; <br />On our cold north breathe thy south. <br />Thaw the frozen face: <br />Childhood all from thee doth flow- <br />Melt to song our age's snow. <br /> <br />Gray-haired children come in crowds, <br />Thee, their Hope, to greet: <br />Is it swaddling clothes or shrouds <br />Hampering so our feet? <br />Eldest child, the shadows gloom: <br />Take the aged children home. <br /> <br />We have had enough of play, <br />And the wood grows drear; <br />Many who at break of day <br />Companied us here- <br />They have vanished out of sight, <br />Gone and met the coming light! <br /> <br />Fair is this out-world of thine, <br />But its nights are cold; <br />And the sun that makes it fine <br />Makes us soon so old! <br />Long its shadows grow and dim- <br />Father, take us back with him!<br /><br />George MacDonald<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/christmas-song-of-the-old-children/
