But Soft, What Light

A simple mistake, we’ll never know
A few hours later, and a fire’s glow
A grand old church, a famous name
The chapel in France called Notre Dame

A fire that raged all through the night
Lit from within, the windows alight
The Windows Rose from long ago
Now threatened by a fire’s glow.

And all of France rushed to the scene
Their goal, save all that saved could be
A grand old Church built long ago
Lit from within by dread fire’s glow.

They fought and sweated all night long
While Frenchmen cheered in speech and song
To save the church from long ago
From fire’s deadly, ash-choked glow.

And dawn returned, as all dawns must,
And Frenchmen peering through ash and dust
For just one glimpse of the Windows Rose
That fire threatened by midnight’s glow.

And lo, the sun’s first rays do show
Not one or two of the Windows Rose
All three survive, and now the tears flow
The sun shines bright, and the Windows glow.