A poem I’ve composed touching on a variety of world cultures and their celebrations surrounding winter solstice. This spoken word is intended for remix for the ccMixter Holiday Remix Project.

Words:
Shortest day, longest night
Standing still great sun so bright
Celebrations our whole world ‘round
Peace on earth, oh such sweet sound

The Hunter’s belt leads Sirius
As Three noble kings to the Christmas Star
Giza and its Pyramids mirror
These mysteries of heaven afar

The English circle called Stonehenge
The Irish tomb of Newgrange
The Scottish mound at Maeshowe
Like Iranian Yalda, mark the birth of day

The Puebloan Sundagger at Chaco
The Inca and their glowing House of Dawn
Abu Simbel, grand rock-temples of Egypt
The Great Zimbabwe fortress aligns with Orion

Sun Goddess Amaterasu emerges the same day
As Dong Zhi marks winter’s arrival
A Yulelog burning warmly for 12 long nights
And Eight days of cheer for the Festival of Lights

Rebirth of the sun
And birth of the Son
Our shoes placed together
All in Harmony, we are one

Oh Shortest day, longest night
Standing still great sun so bright
Unify our world all around
Peace on earth, oh such sweet sound
Peace on earth, oh such sweet sound