"I am a man forgotten.
No one recalls my name.
Thousands of years will fail to
Fully erase my shame,
But I turned a profit nicely the day
That I turned a couple away.
I turned them away.

I didn't sleep that evening
Though I'd sold out my place.
Somehow I felt uneasy
(Something about her face).
Why did I wish that I'd let them stay?
I don't think they could have paid,
Or could they have paid?"
--"Let Him In (The Innkeeper)," The Forgotten Carols, Michael McLean

Has anyone else had a hankering for some truly inspiring stories of Christmas cheer? I don't know how to do justice to just how much The Forgotten Carols by Michael McLean touched my heart. The very idea is inspiring: we all have Carols that tell the world how humanity hasn't lost its humanity.

This winter, give my soul a mug of hot cocoa made with the milk of human kindness; tell me and the whole dA community your own Carols that may have been forgotten whether by the passage of time or by there not being any witnesses to shout your good deeds from the rooftops. If the nativity story isn't your particular cup of tea, tell me a story of human kindness contrasted with the bleakness of the winter months or, if you live in a part of the world where winters are mild, the cruellest of conditions. The real meaning of Christmas is, of course, that we humans CAN step outside our own selfish desires during the darkest of times and think of our fellowbeings for a change.

Prose and poetry/songs seem to be the traditional media for telling "Christmas Carols," but I won't be prejudiced against visual art. I'd like to see new deviations created specifically for this contest, but I won't hold it against you if you've got the perfect entry hidden away in your gallery's back closet. The deadline is, as you might have guessed, December 25.

Here's another Carol by Michael McLean to give you an idea of the inspiration behind this contest:

"She had a way with children; she molded them like clay.
She found the goodness in them all, and she nurtured them each day.
Though she never had been married or had children of her own,
She could make the toughest child be good.
And so she would not be misunderstood,
She told her story every chance she could:

'Mary let me hold her baby,
Her newborn son.
Though I'd never been a mother,
I felt like one.

Mary let me hold her baby
So she coud rest.
And ever since the night I held him,
My life's been blessed.

Those like me who can't have children
Still can be mothers.
Something in his eyes convinced me
I could serve so many others.

Mary let me hold her baby,
So soft and warm.
Mary let me hold her baby,
And I was reborn.'"

Theme--"Forgotten Carols"
Media--Prose, poetry, visual art.
Deadline--December 25, 2007.
One year subscription from yours truly, or a print of equal value.
Get crackin'!