Song of the Stable

By Bryant Burroughs

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​Sing ye, womb of Mary:
the capacious God
who contains all things
has formed into flesh
within your confines.
Your Yes to an angel’s word
brought forth God’s Word,
God unborn, then first-born,
the very Yes of God.

Sing ye, red-stained straw,
debris of common grass
cast into troughs
as feed for beasts.
You throw-aways became
a soft bed for the babe
to drop from the womb
and to know, “I am here!”

Sing ye, stable walls.
You recite forever
the mother’s birth-screams,
the baby’s howls,
the father’s tears.
A birth-place is a noisy
place, even for God.

          We sing with joy this night
          to welcome God’s Delight.
          ​Come all, come all,
          ​Come to his light.

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Bryant Burroughs is a poet and short story creator whose work has appeared in online literary sites such as Agape Review, Clayjar Review, Pure in Heart Stories and Faith and Hope & Fiction. His first collection of poetry is published as Where Do My Words Go? Bryant lives with his wife Ruth and three cats in Upstate South Carolina.

Bryant's other work on Foreshadow:
The Widow Whose Son Lived (Fiction, July 2022)
The Youngest Day (Poetry, November 2022)
The Widow's Psalm (Poetry, February 2023)
The Leper and the Healer (Fiction, May 2023)
Pearls of Ignatius (Poetry, August 2023)
Song of the Star (Poetry, December 2023)
A Long Walk Toward God (Poetry, January 2024)
All the Dead Heard His Voice (Poetry, March 2024)
Letters from Heaven (Poetry, June 2024)
Joseph's Psalm (Poetry, February 2025)