Nils Peterson Santa Clara County Poet Laureate Poem

From his book "For This Day": of Christmas poems written annually and collected finally. With the author's permission:

Poem entitled "For This Day"

"In which everything is meant for you

And nothing need be explained"

Wallace Stevens

For this day, the sweet lowings, the brays,

the heavenly music are all for us. The world

brings us the presents we so richly deserve,

for are we not children of the Father?

For this day we sit on Mary's blue lap

at home with ox, ass, shepherd, king, angel

Yes, there is a Herod, but for this day

he rages off-stage in the empty city.

For this day, the trees are for us, and then,

"the whole wideness of the night."

Merry Christmas