Love in the cold

'Tis the time of year for noticing "Christmas" songs. Several in a row celebrated friends being together, culminating with "Let it Snow." "Still goodbye-ing," "hate going out in the storm," "all the way home I'll be warm," and so on. I tend to be a contrary sort sometimes. The first thing that jumped to mind during that song was "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden.

Sundays too my father got up early 
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold, 
then with cracked hands that ached 
from labor in the weekday weather made 
banked fires blaze.
...
What did I know, what did I know 
of love's austere and lonely offices? 

I doubt that Bethlehem had much snow, but it was a cold world there too.