They had hardly slept.
The baby grizzled, burped and smiled.
They’d been surprised at the deep wisdom in his unfocused eyes.
An old soul.
How comforted he was by Mary’s milk,
And Joseph’s origami skills at wrapping cloth and
Tying ties.
They were a novelty in the village,
An amusing piece of gossip-gain,
That brought everyone out with food
And drink
To welcome the wee thing into the world.
To chance a wager on baby Joseph’s second name.
There was a certain atmosphere,
A wonderment in the family’s gaze,
As they sat entwined,
Collapsed inward, absorbed, disturbingly content;
Their vocation fixed.
They’d heard it again,
On the whispering breath of the grazing sheep,
In the chorus of birds that welcomed the day.
Kindle in this vulnerable spark of life an enduring Love Flame.
Jane Wallman-Girdlestone 
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