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Friday, December 30, 2016

Street People – v16


Pulling them from the ether
from the nightly news, the shadows,
Conjuring the facts, the images
the characters portraying
in the nativity scene, the story,
of who would be in the stable
who would be the shepherds
the homeless, the first responders
watching their flocks by night
in a modern retelling, a living version,
of the Christmas story, of Christ’s birth.

It was the street people, the lost, the broken
those who are homeless and alone
the police on the beat, in the breach, on patrol;
These were the shepherds watching, standing guard,
in the streets at night, in the darkness
out in the cities, the urban landscape;
They were the ones in the darkness,
on each cold night, on guard,
waiting for the coming of the Christ
for the birth of our risen Savior.

They would be the ones, those
who cried out, in fear, in awe
when the angels sang above them;
Going to that place under the bridge
the place few of us would willing tread
where the Christ-child was born,
in such humble estate;
They found the father and mother and
the child wrapped as best they could
trying to keep Him warm, in the darkness.

They knelt at the bed of our Savior, of Jesus,
a cardboard box, old newspapers, that was all
there in the cold of that night
with nothing to give Him but their presence,
responding to the angels;
They heard the songs of the angel choir
answering the angels’ call to them;
Going as they were led to His humble bed,
to praise God under the bridge, the shadows,
to exalt our newborn King.

They went back into that night, joy-filled,
the shepherds, the homeless,
out into the world, the streets, the darkness
to share, to bear witness, to proclaim
the Messiah’s birth in the urban jungle;
Wondering who would listen to the message
of such humble witnesses, these shepherds,
alone in the night, out in the streets
proclaiming the present coming of God.

---------------
edited December 30, 2016
Street People – v16
(merging edits to version 2 and version 15)
edited December 4, 2015
Street People – v15
(editing version 14)
edited/merged December 3, 2015
Street People – v14
(merging edits with version 13, version 6, version 7, version 8, version 9,
version 10, version 11, and version 12)
edited/merged December 2, 2015
Street People – v13
(merging edits to version 3, version 2, version 4, and version 5)
edited November 12, 2015
Street People – v12
(merging edits to version 2 and version 7)
edited November 7, 2015
Street People – v11
(editing version 3)
edited November 2, 2015
Street People – v10
(editing version 2)
edited October 16, 2015
Street People – v9
(editing version 6)
edited October 14, 2015
Street People – v8
(editing version 4)
edited May 1, 2015
Street People – v7
(editing original again)
edited March 23, 2015
Street People – v6
(editing version 5)
edited February 17, 2015
Street People – v5
(merging edits to version 2 and version 4)
edited February 10, 2015
Street People – v4
(merging edits to version 2, version 3, and original)
edited January 17, 2015
Street People – v3
(editing version 2)
Edited November 23, 2012
Street People – v2
December 20, 2009
Street People
&
December 20, 2009
Would it be under a bridge
&
December 20, 2009
Homeless and Alone
&
December 20, 2009
Finding Shelter
&
December 20, 2009
Without a Reservation
Alive Now Daily Reflections for December 14, 2009 to December 20, 2009
Luke 2:1-7 (December 18, 2009)
Luke 2:8-20 (December 19, 2009)
&
Luke 2:6-7
&
Advent Christmas offering letter
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 42,680+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Advent, Advent Conspiracy, Alive Now, Christ, David, Emmanuel, Faith, God, Joseph, Luke 2, manger, Mary, Methodist, Poetry Where You Live, prophesy, servant, stable, police, homeless, America,

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