Mary Wept

Miriam wept.

as she gave birth

to her first born son

in the great room

of her parents windowless house

because there was no space

for her in their guest room.

 

Miriam wept

amidst the smell of

animals lulling in the stables,

the stench of blood and life,

pouring from her womb

in circles of pain, joy

and the fear of death.

 

Miriam wept

as she swaddled him

in the bands of linen

the midwife gifted her,

now their only rich thing,

and wept again

in the soothing waters of the Mikvah

 

Miriam wept

remembering the small voice

that had once whispered

inside her with a thousand hallelujahs

and the acclaim of a heaven of angels

proclaiming him the redeemer.

 

Miriam wept

unaware of the indifferent

shepherds tending their

flock in the sweltering night,

watching the convergence

of Jupiter and Venus

blessing the heavens

all the way to Persia.

 

And knowing that Miriam

treasured up all these things

and pondered them in her heart-

Jesus wept-

openly on the cross

in full view of her.

 

This poem is a more realistic and historically accurate version of what the nativity story was really like.  As such it diverges substantially from the accounts of Luke and Mark found in the New Testament.