MY DEAR SISTER JANET
KERRY PATRICK CLARK

My Dear sister Janet it is 2 AM
Soldiers are sleeping but not me I am
Writing this letter to share these events
The Eve of this Christmas our foes became friends
Awaiting replacements when will this war end
Terrible waiting it’s been

We marched to the music the drummer and fife
We hate what’s before us we love what’s behind
We shiver in trenches cold is the rain
The Germans our rivals a few yards away
The Eve of this Christmas a strange lovely sight
Small clusters of candlelight

What is it, I asked John he said Christmas Trees
The silence that followed was hard to believe
And then we heard voices singing this song
Silent and Holy this night does belong
We cheered from our trenches for how could there be
Voices in this war like these

O Come all ye faithful and O Tennenbaum
Both British and Germans were singing along
Then two German soldiers climbed over barbed wire
We lifted our rifles and heard ‘do not fire’
And our captain rising dear sister I saw
A peace that did leave me in awe

The British in Khaki the Germans in grey
In no man’s land Christmas Eve presents we gave
Our tea for coffee, cigarettes for cigars
Buttons and badges and some uniforms
More songs were traded and sister, no lie
We closed with the song Auld Lang Syne

One can’t help imagine if the spirit shown here
Were caught be each nation which holds onto fear
Dear sister please ell me throughout history
Has ‘er a soldier friended their enemy
No marching no shooting no dropping of bombs
Sweet Christmas Sister your brother Tom.