Thursday, December 27, 2018
Another Christmas Story––poem by Lisa Shulman
Another Christmas Story
What if Mary was María
dark skinned and tired
trudging through the desert
pregnant and far from home?
What if Joseph was José
and there was no donkey
but the burden of fear weighed the same?
What if there was no money
for Joseph or José,
and what if the birth pangs grew sharper
for Mary or María?
What if there were no beds
for any of them,
no shelter, no warmth,
only dust and cold stars glittering above?
What if Bethlehem was Texas?
What if the baby was born
in a manger
or a detention center
this Jesus, this Jesús
this child of God?
Would he be revered
or ripped from his mother’s arms,
this Jesus, this Jesús
this child of God?
Wouldn’t the angels rejoice
at this divine spark
born into the world?
Would we?
- Lisa Shulman
_______________________________________________
PoetryLovers mailing list
PoetryLovers@lists.sonic.net
https://lists.sonic.net/mailman/listinfo/poetrylovers
