I wonder…
How did you travel
from Nazareth to Bethlehem?
On the back of a donkey
or by foot,
belly swollen,
ankles swollen,
one tired foot in front of the other
your beloved at your side
and your God with you.
I wonder…
Did you know what was happening
when your labour pains started?
Had you watched your mother giving birth,
or another kinswoman;
or were you terrified,
convinced you were dying?
I wonder…
Did you labour alone,
or did a midwife attend you?
Who reminded you to breathe,
encouraged you to push,
reassured you that it would be over soon?
I wonder…
On the threshold of new life
emerging into this world,
you also stood on the threshold of death,
blood and amniotic fluid
staining the hay.
Did you have a sense of the shadow of death
lurking in the corner,
waiting to pounce
should anything go wrong?
I wonder…
Did your baby latch easily to your breast
or did he squawk and squall,
hungry for that which only you could give?
Did your baby settle easily,
“no crying he makes”;
or did he fuss
at the unexpected shock
of air?
I wonder…
As you slipped into exhausted sleep,
overwhelmed by the newness of it all,
did you remember
that the newness in your life
was an echo of the newness in the world?
Did your soul still magnify the Lord?
Did the light of love
shine from the manger,
on that holy, awe-full night?
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