Did Christmas Burn

 

 photo from Pexels by artist knapsnack.life

 

a poem by Joshua Brown

 

We sat in silence,
Sipping coffee.
There was a trash bag
Full of wrapping paper.

I looked at her
As she watched
The grandfather clock
Under the balanced rapier

Tick and tock
Steadily swing
An unforgiving soldier
With patriotism to time.

Did Christmas burn
Within us holy
A mem'ry of the Babe
Born to virgin and Divine?

She heard me not
But answered still
"Yes, I felt it in my bones
A wild flame set by anger

Anger at the noise
The constant noise
Politics and war and life
Survival of identity in danger"

Then she stopped
And we sat in silence
Again with twinkling lights
Strung in the window frame.

The children slept
Unswaddled in their bed
Far from the dirty shepherds
Who first saw Jesus when He came:

Before the kings
Or dare I say the spies
From Asian lands alert to God
And His Divine redemption plan.

Did Christmas burn?
My mind repeats again
As if unanswered at first
But seeking still the inner man.

But silent she sat
No answer sang or spoke.
I watched her as she sipped
The bitter roast of warm fire.

And in that moment
I remembered Joseph.
Running to Egypt for life
And limb of Child he never sired.

And in that memory
Alive from Holy Script'
The burn of Christmas
Within my heart a true desire.

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