I heard a bird sing...

I Heard a Bird Sing
by
Oliver Herford

I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.

 

"We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,”
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December. 

 

 

Amid the busy preparations for Christmas, I heard a Carolina wren sing today.  They are little and loud and can be heard singing year round.  Immediately, I thought of the poem "I Heard a Bird Sing."  Yes, we are in the "dark of December," but from here on, the days will be getting longer.  I've been told that one of the reasons we celebrate Christmas in December is that the Roman emperor Constantine mixed the Christian celebrations with the pagan winter solstice celebrations.  I'm no pagan, but I am glad to see the days lengthen once again.