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

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2016/12/street-people-v16.html

(merging edits to version 2 and version 15)

edited December 4, 2015

Street People – v15

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/12/street-people-v15.html

(editing version 14)

edited/merged December 3, 2015

Street People – v14

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/12/street-people-v14.html

(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

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/12/street-people-v13.html

(merging edits to version 3, version 2, version 4, and version 5)

edited November 12, 2015

Street People – v12

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/11/street-people-v12.html

(merging edits to version 2 and version 7)

edited November 7, 2015

Street People – v11

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/11/streetpeople-v11-thestreet-people-lost.html

(editing version 3)

edited November 2, 2015

Street People – v10

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/11/street-people-v10.html

(editing version 2)

edited October 16, 2015

Street People – v9

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/10/street-people-v9.html

(editing version 6)

edited October 14, 2015

Street People – v8

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/10/street-people-v8.html

(editing version 4)

edited May 1, 2015

Street People – v7

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/05/street-people-v7.html

(editing original again)

edited March 23, 2015

Street People – v6

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/03/street-people-v6.html

(editing version 5)

edited February 17, 2015

Street People – v5

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/02/street-people-v5.html

(merging edits to version 2 and version 4)

edited February 10, 2015

Street People – v4

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/02/street-people-v4.html

(merging edits to version 2, version 3, and original)

edited January 17, 2015

Street People – v3

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/01/street-people-v3.html

(editing version 2)

Edited November 23, 2012

Street People – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/11/street-people-v2.html

December 20, 2009

Street People

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2009/12/street-people.html

&

December 20, 2009

Would it be under a bridge

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2009/12/would-it-be-under-bridge.html

&

December 20, 2009

Homeless and Alone

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2009/12/homeless-and-alone.html

&

December 20, 2009

Finding Shelter

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2009/12/finding-shelter.html

&

December 20, 2009

Without a Reservation

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2009/12/without-reservation.html 

Alive Now Daily Reflections for December 14, 2009 to December 20, 2009

http://alivenow.upperroom.org/daily-reflections/daily-reflections-for-december-14-20/

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,

#Advent #AdventConspiracy #AliveNow #Christ #David #Emmanuel #Faith #God #Joseph #Luke2 #manger #Mary #Methodist #prophesy #servant #stable #police #homeless #UMC #America