Love Poem: On the Road To Bethlehem
Dominique Webb Avatar
Written by: Dominique Webb

On the Road To Bethlehem

I knew what I should’ve done, 
What most men would do, 
Ride the donkey and insist, 
That Mary walk, lower than me. 

But I knew right from wrong, 
And as she was pregnant, 
I considered her right for, 
The riders position grand. 

As I was walking with her, 
I had time to contemplate, 
Think about things, the point, 
To strengthen my character. 

Other citizens who bypassed, 
Sneered at us, avoided glancing, 
As my woman was above me, 
But I just ignored them straight. 

People came into my mind, 
And I thought of morality;
It’s focus, bent and alley, 
And solidified my thinking. 

People matter above all, 
When the chips are down, 
And even when they’re not, 
You do what would help them. 

Morality’s focus is people, 
Not god, temple or government, 
To relate, elevate and direct, 
Continually interested, insightful. 

The physical is the base land, 
Everything is derived from it;
You can’t get above it or below, 
Around or separate the elements. 

So Mary appreciated the ride, 
Talked to me on the journey, 
Exchanging philosophies, ways, 
Becoming comfortable and easy. 

By the time we arrived there, 
Bethlehem was looking at us, 
Asking when we wed and lain, 
Expecting us to not repudiate.

But instead we told the truth, 
Admitted to being free lovers, 
And so they rejected us as sane, 
Actively staring, spitting, jeering. 

But my new mind from the road, 
Enabled me to think quickly, 
About our situation, predicament, 
And turn the boat around hard.  

A boy emerged, stealthy and hearty, 
And we both took one look at him, 
And knew he would be great, 
If only people accepted our sin. 

Grateful somehow for the census, 
I decided to aim at calling my boy, 
Jesus Christ, if the magi agreed, 
And validated his talent for others. 

They commended him reassuringly, 
Said that he was the Christ for sure, 
So I ran to the population census, 
And changed our name to Christ. 

I never regretted it or looked back, 
Happy in my reasoning and in giving, 
My son and all people a better life, 
One of equality in healthcare access.