Peaceful Pause

Prosery

The weary soldiers gathered around the fire. Christmas Eve and the fire kept small as bits of golden flames filtered up through the darkness, soothing sadness of family memories. Gloved hands covering the coals gathered gear for the sacred night’s feast. Eating meager rations from a tin, they started sharing anything extra they had left. The older ones lit up cigarettes, hoping the bitter burn of smoke would fill their chest, dispelling memories of similar gatherings from other wars on this night.

Suddenly the night air was interrupted by a familiar melody. It was “Silent Night”, an incredible sound with words in a different language. It seems the cold wind brought a drift of voices expressing feelings similar to their own. The captain of the group stood up saying, “If it’s darkness we’re having, let it be extravagant” and they all joined in singing.

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144 words

https://dversepoets.com/2019/11/11/prosery-meet-jane-kenyon/#like-18876

28 thoughts on “Peaceful Pause

  1. This sounds like a tale my father told me about once he was stationed in Germany during WWII. Except they sang It Came Upon a Midnight Clear and the troops were bivouacked in a field one cold night.

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  2. What you are describing was a real event, the “ChristmasTruce” in WWI. What a grand way to work with the prompt line. Really enjoyed it.

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