Unstrange Phenomena by Ed Allison for December 23, 2024

I had a similar night on December 1987. It was after a heavy snowfall. No cars on the streets, everyone was inside, no TVs or radios or stereos. Total quiet.

Hello darkness, my old friend

I’ve come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence

-Simon & Garfunkel

My father said one Christmas during WWII the Germans and his group called a truce for a day to celebrate.

I binged the 1st quote, its an interesting read about an impromptu truce at the beginning of what would become WWI, too bad I cant post a link the Time article here >

The Christmas Truce of WW1.

Hey! This the same strip he ran last year! And the year before. And the year before that!

My name is Francis Tolliver. I come from LiverpoolTwo years ago the war was waiting for me after schoolTo Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany to hereI fought for King and country I love dearIt was Christmas in the trenches where the frost so bitter hungThe frozen field of France were still, no Christmas song was sungOur families back in England were toasting us that dayTheir brave and glorious lads so far awayI was lyin’ with my mess-mates on the cold and rocky groundWhen across the lines of battle came a most peculiar soundSays I “Now listen up me boys”, each soldier strained to hearAs one young German voice sang out so clear“He’s singin’ bloddy well you know”, my partner says to meSoon one by one each German voice joined in in harmonyThe cannons rested silent. The gas cloud rolled no moreAs Christmas brought us respite from the warAs soon as they were finished a reverent pause was spent‘God rest ye merry, gentlemen’ struck up some lads from KentThe next they sang was ‘Stille Nacht". "Tis ’Silent Night’" says IAnd in two toungues one song filled up that sky“There’s someone commin’ towards us” the front-line sentry criedAll sights were fixed on one lone figure trudging from their sideHis truce flag, like a Christmas star, shone on that plain so brightAs he bravely strode, unarmed, into the nightThen one by one on either side walked into no-mans-landWith neither gun nor bayonet we met there hand to handWe shared some secret brandy and wished each other wellAnd in a flare-lit soccer game we gave ’em hellWe traded chocolates, cigarettes and photgraphs from homeThese sons and fathers far away from families of their ownYoung Sanders played his squeeze box and they had a violinThis curious and unlikely band of menSoon daylight stole upon us and France was France once moreWith sad farewells we each began to settle back to warBut the question haunted every heart that lived that wonderous night“whose family have I fixed within my sights?”

True total silence is very difficult to find. Try it.

Ready for a new strip please. :)