A Bicycle Carol
(in the style of Christina Rossetti’s “A Christmas Carol”)
Sweet wheels that spin in winter’s chill,
And glide on frosty air,
What joy you bring to hearts that fill
The cold with pedals’ prayer!
O shining frame, with spokes so bright,
Beneath the moon’s soft gleam,
You whisper through the silent night,
Like one who wakes from dream.
No sleigh bells here, no reindeer tread,
No reindeer drawing near—
But you, with chain and tire sped,
Bring hope to hearts sincere.
On snowy streets, you swiftly roll,
Through winter’s crisp embrace,
With merry sound, you touch the soul,
And set the world to race.
No Christmas tree, no glittered hall,
Can hold such simple cheer—
As when the bike, with swift recall,
Brings all the world near.
So ride, O merry bicycles,
And on this night of light,
Let joy be found in pedal strokes,
And hearts be pure and bright.
For Christmas, with its gift of peace,
Is riding through the air—
A gift of love that will not cease,
A hope we all can share.
— Chatham George Paulson-Thomas & Stefan Schoofveldt
