Longing for Light: An Advent Poem by Leo Hartshorn

Anticipating…

Hoping for hope
for an advent sign along the abandoned road
that is supposed to lead to life
Lighting purple candles
Longing for light
under the shadow of winter’s cloak

Waiting…

Leaning forward for the future,
for joy divine to peek his head
from beneath the swaddling clothes of
ordinary time
Singing carols
Longing for light
under the shadow of winter’s cloak

Watching…

Looking for love
incarnate in the here and now
fleshed out in the midst of ghosts
of Christmases past
Reading ancient texts
Longing for light
under the shadow of winter’s cloak


Hoping…

Expecting faith to come
even while she has hopped a train
south to Doubtsville
Listening for a faint whistle
in the church’s chants and
the world’s wistfulness
Longing for light
under the shadow of winter’s cloak