An Evening Walk to Observe a Christmas Lights Display

Whose lights are these I do not know
That give to me a splendid show;
Their owner will not know I’m here
To see this festive Christmas cheer.

Alone outside I do not talk,
As I pause my evening walk
For bulbs that glow in colored ease
On roofline, windows, hedge, and trees.

A car approaches up the road
And slows to gaze at the abode,
But soon the engine hums away
And silence falls on the display.

I amble down the road to home –
With no more streets tonight to roam –
And wonder who the one might be
Who hung the lights for me to see.

____________________________

There’s definitely a comment on isolation and community somewhere in this piece. Is it normal to wander alone to stare at Christmas lights, or to not even know a neighbor’s name? Alternatively though, in a season that is filled to the brim with social obligations and expectations on one’s time, there’s something nice about the idea of being alone in this type of environment.

We seldom experience a silent night, in and around Christmas.

If you have never wandered a neighborhood on foot, alone, to stare at a Christmas lights display, I recommend it. Caroling and company and crowds have their time and place, especially around the holidays, but there is something special about the contemplative opportunities afforded by a winter ramble to look at lights.