CHRISTMAS IS FOR CHILDREN

CHRISTMAS IS FOR CHILDREN

CHRISTMAS IS FOR CHILDREN

WE’VE OFTEN HEARD IT SAID

PERHAPS WE’VE SAID IT OURSELVES

IF IT IS

THEN IT MUST BE SOME KIND OF FAIRY TALE

WITH HORROR PORTRAYED AS FANTASY

WE DRESS THE CHILDREN IN COSTUME

AND THINK HOW CUTE

BUT THE REALITY

OF A PREGNANT TEENAGER

WITH THE COCKAMAMIE STORY OF AN ANGEL’S VISIT

HER FIANCEE

HURT

BUT TOO MUCH IN LOVE WITH HER

TO DENOUNCE HER

A BRIGHT MOMENT

WHEN A USELESS CHILDLESS WOMAN

BECOMES PREGNANT

AN OCCUPIED COUNTRY

RULED BY AN IRON MILITANT FIST

A JOBLESS IMMIGRANT

TRYING FOR WORK

WHO CAN’T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE

HOMELESS THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN

LOOKED DOWN UPON BECAUSE OF IT

SOLDIERS ORDERED TO KILL CHILDREN

NO ROOM IN THE INN FOR POOR PEOPLE

SIGNING UP FOR A CENSUS

THAT WILL IMPOSE MORE TAXES

WHILE THE RICH AMASS FORTUNES

WIDOWS CHEATED OUT OF THEIR INHERITANCE

SHEPHERDS

LOOKED DOWN ON

BECAUSE THEY DO NOT OBSERVE SABBATH

SCHOLARS SEEK HIM

WHICH UPSETS KING AND PRIESTS

NOT A CHRISTMAS PAGEANT SHOW

WITH CHILDREN IN BATHROBES

BUT A REALITY SHOW

WHERE MOST OF US LIVE

IT WOULD BE WELL IF THE CHARACTERS

WERE ADULTS

LIVING OUT THEIR ROLES

AS THEY WOULD IN REAL LIFE

PERHAPS A DESTITUTE MAN

LIVING IN A CARDBOARD BOX

WONDERING

WHAT HAPPENED TO GOD’S PLAN

WHY WOULD A SAVIOR COME

TO SUCH A HATEFUL WORLD

THAT CLEARLY DOESN’T WANT HIM

A WORLD THAT’S A DISAPPOINTMENT TO ITS CREATOR

WHY

BUT MY WAYS

ARE NOT YOUR WAYS

FOR IF AN OLD BARREN WOMAN

CAN HAVE A CHILD

THEN THE WORLD CAN HAVE A SAVIOR

WITH LABOR PAINS

BURSTING WITH SEED AND DREAMS

THE DREAMS THAT

THERE WILL NEVER BE HARM

OR WAR ON GOD’S HOLY MOUNTAIN

THAT LION AND LAMB SHALL DWELL PEACEFULLY

AS THE OLD WAYS

GIVE WAY TO THE NEW

CHILDREN IN BATHROBES

WILL LEAD THEM

FRANK A VOLLMER