Religion

Mary's Baby

by Shaemas O Sheel 1886–1954

From The Home Book of Verse, ed. Burton Egbert Stevenson (1918)

Religion

Joseph, mild and noble, bent above the straw;
A pale girl, a frail girl, suffering he saw;
"O my Love, my Mary, my bride, I pity thee!"
"Nay, Dear," said Mary, "all is well with me!"
"Baby, my baby, O my babe," she sang.
Suddenly the golden night all with music rang.

Angels leading shepherds, shepherds leading sheep:
The silence of worship broke the mother's sleep.
All the meek and lowly of all the world were there;
Smiling, she showed them that her Child was fair,
"Baby, my baby," kissing Him she said.
Suddenly a flaming star through the heavens sped.

Three old men and weary knelt them side by side.
The world's wealth forswearing, majesty and pride;
Worldly might and wisdom before the Babe bent low:
Weeping, maid Mary said, "I love Him so!"
"Baby, my baby," and the Baby slept.
Suddenly on Calvary all the olives wept.

MLA

Sheel, Shaemas O. “Mary's Baby.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/osheel/2/.

Chicago

Sheel, Shaemas O. “Mary's Baby.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/osheel/2/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by Shaemas O Sheel