Christmas Sonnet

My oldest son worked hard to rake the leaves
Into a corner of our yard. Proud to prove
What all his sweat and effort had achieved,
He took my hand, suggesting where he’d move
The rest tomorrow, to be burned. I gave
Five dollars for the work, advising one
To spend, one to tithe, the other three, to save.
Surely, some righteous zeal to see my son
Budget his labor’s fruit with godly care
Weighed heavy on my mind. May God forgive
What scorn I showed to him, when saying there
Were reasons, he supposed, for giving
          All his earnings to our church, his youthful eyes
          Yearning for me to say that he was wise.

—Brandon Chasteen  

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

The Church’s Answer to the World (ft. Carter Griffin)

Mark Bauerlein

In the ​latest installment of the ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein, Fr. Carter Griffin…

Voyages to the End of the World

Peter Thiel Sam Wolfe

Francis Bacon dreamed of abolishing disease, natural disasters, and chance itself. He also dreamed of abolishing God.

The Lost Art of Saying “No”

John M. Grondelski

Conservative pundit Matt Walsh recently contended that “we have to recapture the long-lost art of saying ‘no.’”…