Peace on Earth

Peace on earth. Goodwill to men, Echoes like Sullivan’s Great Amen: The chord he lost when sitting by, His brother as he watched him die.

And so this year we’ll watch again, Aleppo’s children wracked with pain. Such is the lottery of life, All they’ve ever known is strife.

Peace is the most elusive prize, That disappears before our eyes. Well intentioned intervention, Seems to heighten confrontation.

In a world of movers and shakers, How Blessed are the Peace Makers? And how fortunate are we, Rejoicing with our family?

So let us raise our Christmas cheers, For all those nameless volunteers, Unsung heroes, dressed in white, Who labour through the war-torn night.

They are weary and ill at ease, Driven by kindness, nobody sees. They may not mark a Christian birth, But we can wish them Peace on Earth.

Happy Christmas 2016

Andrew Ailes is a British foreign news veteran living in London.