Twas On The Feast Of Saint Lucia

And so the nights start drawing in.
And so the year's midnight fast approaches.
But all is not yet lost. The demons can still be kept at bay.
Pure Saint Lucy suffered a true martyr’s death in the year 304 AD.
Her punishment for refusing to marry with a man of pagan faith
was to have both her bright blue eyes
gouged out with a fork and
placed upon a golden plate.
Now, I’m not a religious man. And I’ve never been too keen on choirs.
But this is different. And it helps that that they’re singing in Swedish.
Sprigs of wild lingonberry in their hair, they cross the threshold.
A slow procession of Illuminating Grace.
Bringing with them the light and the warmth.
Bringing with them the scent of the saffron
and the gingerbread and the hot sticky glögg.
A mirage to make Shepherds quake at their sight.
A halo of candles to help steer me home.