THEY WERE TALKING ROUND THE FIRE
BY THEIR BOATS AT NIGHT
SWAPPING LIES AND MEMORIES
THE COMRADESHIP OF MEN
THEY WERE LAUGHING NOW
LAUGHING AT PETER'S MOCK GRUFFNESS WITH JOHN
YOU TELL ONE MORE OF YOUR JOKES
AND I'M THROWING YOU IN THE SEA
FOR JOHN HAD SAID
JOHN THE YOUNGEST ONE
THE MAN TO BOY ROUGH HUMOR
FOR JOHN HAD SAID
YOU KNOW WHEN I WAS BORN I CRIED LIKE A BABY
THEY'D GROANED AND LAUGHED AND GROANED AGAIN
AND CHASED JOHN FROM THE FIRE
WHO FINDING THE NIGHT AIR CHILL
MADE IMPOSSIBLE PROMISES OF SILENCE
TO REGAIN THE FIRE
THEY HAD SETTLED DOWN FOR THE NIGHT
EACH ONE SILENT WITH HIS THOUGHTS
CRIED LIKE A BABY CHUCKLED PETER
WHERE DOES HE GET THEM FROM JESUS
BUT JESUS WAS STRANGELY SILENT
STARING AT THE FIRE
LOOKING AT THE FLAME BUT SEEING HIS MOTHER
AND RELIVING HER MEMORY OF HIS BIRTH
THEREtD BEEN A TRIP
PLEASANT ENOUGH
WITH JOSEPH AND DONKEY
THERE'D BEEN THE HOUSEWIFE'S JOY AT ESCAPE FROM ROUTINE
AND JOSEPH WOULD AMUSE HER
TALKING TO THE DONKEY AS IF TO SOME NEAR DEAF UNCLE
EVEN NOT FINDING A ROOM HAD BEEN A LARK
AT FIRST BEFORE HER LABOR PAINS
THEY SAT UPON THE STRAW AND LAUGHED
MADAM I AM TRULY SORRY FOR THE ACCOMMODATIONS
THINK NOTHING OF IT MY GOOD MAN
THE SERVANTS WILL PUT IT ARIGHT IN A JIFFY
SO THEY'D DRANK WINE
ATE CHEESE AND BREAD
TRIED TO SLEEP
BUT THE BABY CAME
A SHEPHERD'S WIFE
SOMEHOW SUMMONED BY ANGEL'S CHOIR
SHOOED HIM OUT
AND WOMAN GRASPING WOMAN'S HAND
PULLED GOD'S OWN SON INTO THE WORLD
THE SHEPHERDS CAME IN ROUGH WOOL CLOTHES
AND SOFT SHEEP EYES
THE MAGI CAME IN RUSTLING SILK
AND FALCON EYES
BUT THEN THE ANGELS CAME
BE QUICK JOSEPH UP AND AWAY
FOR SOLDIERS ARE COMING FOR CHRIST TODAY
COVER THE HEAD OF THE CHILD WITH A SHAWL
DON'T LET HIM CHUCKLE OR GIGGLE OR BAWL
BUT MOST OF ALL CEASE HIS LAUGHTER
FOR THAT'S THE VERY THING THEY'RE AFTER
SNEAK OUT OF THE CITY SNEAK OUT OF THE TOWN
BY MORNING LIGHT BE EGYPT BOUND
DID YOU SAY SOMETHING JESUS
NO PETER JUST DREAMING
WELL GOODNIGHT THEN
GOODNIGHT PETER
HE LAY ON HIS BACK AND LOOKED AT THE STARS
GOODNIGHT MOTHER
I'M RUNNING STILL
Frank a Vollmer
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