Monday, December 8, 2014

A Stream of Advent Haikus by Chris Yokel

Last year, I found another Advent blog entitled Go to Bethlehem and See: Advent Writings from the Friends and Fellows of the Boar's Head Tavern. I've enjoyed reading some of the author's posts and original poetry. 

Advent Haiku(s)
by Chris Yokel

Messenger
wings unfurling
plunges through stars to Nazareth

Words
explode in Mary’s mind
expand her role in history
no peasant girl ever heard such a thing

Advent
we await Him who
has already come

Everyone who is born dies
but what if you knew you were born to die?
That the purpose of your existence
was its very annihilation?

Forerunner
even in the liquid dark
John leaps

And the Spirit of God
was hovering
over the void of virgin womb

A star leads Magi
to the scepter rising
in the starry fields of Jacob

In the house of bread
our deepest hunger sees
the child in a feeding trough

Shepherds come like flocks
to see David’s son
who will gather the lost sheep of Israel

The shekinah of God
tabernacles in Israel again
but not in the temple

Omniscient one
comes into the world
knowing nothing

A star calls astrologers from the east
but there is One who calls the stars themselves

Kings seek from distant lands
and tyrants tremble at the thought—
the rumor of the manger King

The barren stump of David
like Sarah’s aged womb
brings forth the Seed of Abraham

Kenosis
the Knower chooses
to not know

The carpenter obeys,
he builds up a child
in wisdom and stature

Let my heart not be too full
that like an innkeeper
I turn you away

Like a curtain
night skies draw back
for a heavenly concert

From Bethlehem Ephratha
ancient of days arises
fresh as the morning dew

Grace is not
stern, majestic power,
but an infant’s sleeping face

Carpenter and virgin
stare awestruck that
they have been given such a gift

Herod the Great
trembles
at a poor child’s cry
King of kings
welcomed into the world
by cold earth,
the smell of dung
and dumb animals’ cries

Kings lay their tribute
at the feet of a child
in a poor man’s house
outside Jerusalem

He sleeps now
who has crossed heaven and earth
to arrive in this flesh

Soft little hands
will take their share of splinters
will touch the unclean
will be wounded in sacrifice
will take us in embrace



(I share this Haiku in the true spirit of the season, hoping to not infringe and give credit where it is due.)

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