CAROLS IN THE CASTLE

I’m not into castles much
can’t be doing with
the musty smells, dark
corners, crumbling walls,
the general air of despair.
(My husband was restricted
to one castle per holiday
on the Loire!)
     So Nunney,
its narrow windows, its sinister
moat isn’t high on my list
of attractions. But on a
December night the castle
comes into its own, floodlights
spilling gold from high windows,
transforming the cobbled floor
into other-worldly space.
     A crowd
gathers, hatted and booted
against the cold. Didn’t
have time to get the roof
fixed, the bandmaster
jokes. We look up, stars
on silver hooks, gaze back.
As one we sing of peace
on earth.
     For this one hour
on this magical night within
these ancient walls, we
begin to believe peace might,
just might, be a possibility.