Was it bleak?
Possibly for Mary,
Weak and heavy-laden every labour-inducing step
to Bethlehem.
Not winter though –
not with Passover lambs on the hillside –
and definitely not white.
(In Palestine snow would have been yet one more
miracle that holy, but probably noisily-not-silent night.)
No snow.
Dusty streets and maybe some green hills for the sheep.
Could the beasts in the smelly stable know
their maker lay
mewling in the hay?
Doubtful. Even his mother was confused.
Who wasn’t? (The angels were at an advantage, being celestial.)
The shepherds believed, and did what they were told,
but did they wonder
ever after
what exactly had gone on?
Even we,
with two thousand years discussing history,
still spread the rumour
it was all about babies and the bleak mid winter,
ignoring what we know (about the baby growing up, beaten up and dying.)
There was no tinsel in the manger.
Just two tired refugees
huddled in the hay,
hoping the birth would be ok.
_2.jpg){kind=small}
No comments:
Post a Comment