MAGI

"For we saw His star when it rose..." - Matthew 2:2

 I Have a really New project. Getting ready to publish stories and photos with a publisher in New York. I hope it all works out.  So far so good. Have been thinking about it for a year or two. Finally taking the plunge.  Hopefully a series of three books. 27  Manuscripts have already been submitted. Plus a ton of photos for them to sort out. Just waiting to see what's next ...Have been rewriting and rewriting for weeks.  This is one of the  rewritten stories. (One of my favs)...

MAGI

  The man saw the night let go  of its dreams and fall close to  dawn.The star had long since vanished.  The man hurried along the street, blackened and  gritty with gravel. Sleet  slapped at his walking cloak. The man stopped for a moment  to adjust his pack. Still a long ways to go. Must keep moving. Must keep on. Must not let them find me…..must not let them find Him.

The man could not believe  he had been there. The three of them. Together   they stood. Together they kneeled  to warm their hands at the fire. His fire.

 Gifts they gave. Gifts so rare.  As they sat and wondered at this Child. This  little one who had the eyes to see, and the ears to hear.

Candles flickered.. His parents hovered, as the Child took the man’s hand. And there was peace. Such peace the man felt. Then the three of them  left. To get ahead of the storm. They each took a different road .  They would never see each other again.

“You saw me, ” the man said. “You saw me…”

 The man knew he must keep going.  Into the bleak midwinter. The others  would be coming. They were relentless. He was no longer weary.   For the man had held the hand  of Him who was all things. This haunting, magical night of nights….

 

MAGI (Christmas 2021)

"Once in our world a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.." -C.S. Lewis

A corpulent  moon slumbered and died. Night waned and fell into the dusk that was almost dawn, but was not. Dark in the wind ,  he hurried along the street, thick with snow. Sleet  slapped at his cloak and the pack he carried . 

It had been a long journey. He watched the storm rage ,like  sands of the desert, as it tossed  souls into the passage of time.

He must keep moving. Must keep on…

His breath fell from speechless words. He uttered  no sound. He felt no cold. 

Dazed with wonder,he could not believe  he had been there. Together,  they had been with Him. Stood there. Kneeled on rough floors. Warmed their hands at His fire.

Their gifts of perfume fell at His feet. He felt afraid, and confused. Beyond the world, as he knew it. He remembered it now. Even though it was not far off in memory.

“I saw Him”  he thought to himself. “I saw Him…”

He  Dreamed sweet dreams,  as candles lit our way. We stood there,not knowing why we came. Why we found Him….Why He found us.

His throne was of tattered rags and hay to keep him warm. Smoke hung in the air,from the smoldering  fire  burnt so low.

“He looked at me” He said aloud to no one in particular.

I am no one. But He is king of us all. “He saw me….”

“And I saw Him. He. Saw. Me.” He wondered.

Mercy  follows me, he thought.  I must keep moving. He knew that there would be those who would try to find him. 

So he trudged on. Into the night. Into the bleak midwinter.

They had come from a long ways. Followed the skies. Followed that star that vanished when they reached Him. He felt evening  rain turn to snow. Their hearts lingered with Him. They did not stay long. Time was of the essence.    

“I weary….I weary of this world,” He said aloud to no one in particular. 

The path led to him, and now in the night his lonely world was gone. 

“I hear you now”

The star that led  to Him, had long gone. Replaced with ice and wind. He had to make his way home.They would be following him . And the others.  The snow would cover their tracks.  He must hurry.This wild morning of snow and shadow.

“He saw me”

This haunting, magical night.

He quickened his pace and pressed onwards. Ever onwards.The road home beckoned. No longer weary. No longer afraid. His journey beyond the moon, sheltered in the night. And blew on till he was lost in the distance…..

Photographs 2021