Those first 3 notes drop into the chapel
Unaccompanied, simple
Urging stop
Listen,
Take a moment
In the middle of the Christmas frenzy.
I have sung them, watched them, listened to them ,
In chapels, cathedrals, car radios, on the television,
And once from a tiny battery radio perched in a tree
Seeking the best reception
On a hot Christmas Eve in the South African veldt,
The boy treble ringing out, stilling other noises.
“Once in Royal…”
Arresting
Eternal.
Jo Hansen 