PEACE on EARTH, GOOD-WILL to MEN

This is a writing challenge for you writers of poetry for Christmas. This year’s exercise is based on the poem from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) written around the time of the civil war. His poem “Christmas Bells” was later made into a well known carol titled, “I heard the bells on Christmas day” where the last line of each stanza repeats “of peace on earth, good-will to men”
What you want to do in your poem is use the words:
PEACE, 
EARTH,
GOOD, 
WILL,
MEN,
in that order in each and every stanza as you write your Christmas poem. For inspiration here is Longfellow’s original poem. Below that is my attempt at completing this exercise. Have fun with it and have a Merry Christmas!

                  "Christmas Bells"
                  Original (1867)

    I Heard the bells on Christmas Day
    Their old, familiar carols play,
        And wild and sweet
        The words repeat
    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
   
And thought how, as the day had come,
    The belfries of all Christendom
        Had rolled along
        The unbroken song
    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
   
Till ringing, singing on its way,
    The world revolved from night to day,
        A voice, a chime,
        A chant sublime
    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
   
Then from each black, accursed mouth
    The cannon thundered in the South,
    And with the sound
        The carols drowned
    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
   
It was as if an earthquake rent
    The hearth-stones of a continent,
        And made forlorn
        The households born
    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
   
And in despair I bowed my head;
    "There is no peace on earth," I said;
        "For hate is strong,
        And mocks the song
    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
   
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
    "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
        The Wrong shall fail,
        The Right prevail,
    With peace on earth, good-will to men."


Here is my attempt at this wonderful poetry exercise. I hope this serves as an adequet example for you. Please post your version. Iam sure we would all love to read what you can do with this challenge.

A PEACE of your life shared in love
For we are all citizens of EARTH
Today brings out the most GOOD
And WILL prove MEN’s worth

Maybe PEACE is back in fashion
All around the EARTH
If all this GOOD WILL happens
For MEN it will be the first

We know no PEACE some will say
On EARTH or in the cosmos
No GOOD are WILLing to give in
To MEN who have lost most

A PEACE of my heart still beating
My bare feet touch the EARTH
No GOOD is done WILL’s fleeting
As MEN still hunger and thirst

A PEACE of advice to help you
As you walk across this EARTH
GOOD, WILL be a powerful force
If MEN in truth will search

So how can there be PEACE again
EARTH groans from the pain of war
If GOOD people WILL do nothing
MEN forget what life is for.

Are PEACE and truth connected
Like EARTH and man and soul
Can GOOD come from those infected
WILL MEN climb from this hole

A song of PEACE still lingers
And rings throughout the EARTH
GOOD people are still WILLing
MEN offering their hands to serve

At PEACE now I hear them ringing
Through the EARTH the sound of bells
The GOOD Christmas is bringing
WILL MEN their neighbors help

Now one last PEACE I leave you
Those who live upon the EARTH
There was only one who was GOOD
God’s WILL, not MEN, his birth

Merry Christmas and Write on!