Carolyn Hillman

From “Two Christmas Poems”

THE COCK crows clear

On Christmas morn.

“Oooo-oo-oo-oo!”

To-day a child

Lies in the manger,

Where the brown ox

Lies too.

“Oooo-oo-oo-oo!”

“Come and see him—

A beggar woman

Bore him last night.”

“Worthless brazen hussy!—

Put her out of my barn!”

Said Grandam;

“Send her to the poor house.”

“Could you not keep her

One day?” I asked.

“No indeed!” she said;

“This is Christmas,

When I must serve my black pudding,

Burning in brandy,

And when thou

Shalt see thy little tree,

Sparkling with candles,

And hung with gay sugar mice.”

“But grandam,

Was not the Christ-child

Born in a manger too?”

“That was a different matter,”

She said.

The cock crowed

Three times,

Loud and clear.

“Oooo-oo-oo-oo!”

“Bastard brat

In our barn!”

“Oooo-oo-oo-oo!”

Different! Different! Different!

But I slipped out to see him

And take him a sugar mouse;

And all about his head

Was a golden glory!