Little town of Bethlehem in
Hebrew means house of bread.
Middle-eastern innkeeper’s wife
bakes bread in outdoor clay oven
to feed guests crowding the table,
filling every room; no vacancy here.
Village streets over-taxed tonight with
dusty lineage of David’s descendants.
Oven fires cooled, bread crumbs swept,
visitors settled but someone’s knocking:
desperate husband with panting wife
begging for bed, nesting in barn; scene of
midnight moaning, blood-stained straw.
Newborn baby’s cry echoes in starlit night;
babe of Bethlehem is bread from heaven,
the Son of Man comes as manna to earth.
Grown into manhood, he fasts long yet
refuses devil’s ploy of leavened stones;
feeds crowd of five thousand on hillside,
blessing of bread fills baskets of leftovers.
He gathers disciples, breaks bread at table of
last supper together, they eat passover lamb;
who offers his body as bread upon a raised altar
to nourish gaunt souls, to feed the hungry world.
a poem in my pocket 
Dec 23, 2014 @ 11:14:21
It is as though all of Mary’s life was one long labor. Beautiful, Lynn.
Dec 20, 2014 @ 12:47:48
This has quality of a news bulletin, which is very intriguing–thanks, Lynn. k.
Dec 18, 2014 @ 12:49:01
neat !
Dec 18, 2014 @ 07:10:35
The historical slant is very much appreciated ~ That birthing of the baby, blessing and breaking of bread ~ Indeed, The Bread that will feed the hungry world ~
Dec 18, 2014 @ 06:12:38
Beautifully done:)
Dec 18, 2014 @ 02:45:26
Very nice write on the subject …with a history lesson;)
Dec 18, 2014 @ 01:05:38
I am rather in awe of your poem….it is awesome!
Dec 17, 2014 @ 23:24:50
I think the story of stories might be about bread, permeating stories… Wonderful narration Lynn.. And yes this would work for the prompt tonight as well 😉
Dec 17, 2014 @ 23:05:43
This is amazing, and so full of things I was not aware of. This would actually be a good piece for young adults in a book!
Dec 17, 2014 @ 22:51:13
house of bread… very cool… i didn’t know this… and how he kept on breaking it til the end… feeding the hungry world… i’m glad he chose this way you know…
p.s. this would also fit the mtb prompt later today where we’re writing birthday poems… smiles