Mary's Song

                                      Blue home spun in the bend of my breast

                                      keep warm this small, hot, naked star 
                                      fallen into my arms. (Rest...

                                      you who have had so far to come.)

                                      Now nearness satisfies 

                                      the body of God sweetly. Quiet he lies
                                      whose vigor hurled a universe. He sleeps
                                      whose eyelids have not closed before.

                                      His breath (so slight it seems 

                                      no breath at all) once ruffled the dark deeps

                                      to sprout a world. Charmed by doves' voices,

                                      the whisper of straw, he dreams,

                                      hearing no music from his other spheres.

                                      Breath, mouth, ears, eyes

                                      he is curtailed who overflowed all skies, 

                                      all years. Older than eternity, now he 

                                      is new. Now native to earth as I am, nailed 

                                      to my poor planet, caught 

                                      that I might be free, blind in my womb 

                                      to know my darkness ended,

                                      brought to this birth for me to be new-born,

                                      and for him to see me mended 

                                      I must see him torn.

                                      ~ Luci Shaw