The Christmas Pageant

Scene 1
The Journey
boy in bathrobe, beard of charcoal
sneakers hidden — more or less
girl beside him — just got braces
pillow tied beneath her dress

two girls wear a donkey costume
tail and ears and ankle socks
first one stumbles, second tumbles
learning how a donkey walks

brightly-colored plastic palm trees
losing air — the third in line
city painted on a bedsheet
hanging by a length of twine

cardboard buildings, wooden doorway
boy is sweeping floor with broom
head is shaking, finger pointing
indicating there's no room
Scene 2
The Stable​
boy in bathrobe, now in lean-to
seems to wave then starts to laugh
charcoal beard appears to itch him
as he stands there with his staff

girl beside him, without pillow
sitting on a bale of hay
cattle painted on a backdrop
silenced by this strange display

wooden manger stands before her
where the cattle should be fed
in the straw, a plastic baby
​hidden flashlight bathes his head

​high above, a star is shining
angels hover in between
klieg lights makes one's glasses darken
coolest angel ever seen


Scene 3
The Shepherds
children watching sheep of cotton
graze in painted fields of green
some are warming by the fire — 
light bulb in the sticks unseen

sudden spotlight high above them
knocks them over — stunned with fear
haloed angels robed in brightness
from the left and right appear

angel with the biggest halo
and the nicest pair of wings
calms the shepherds from their terror
then the angel choir sings

bright light with the angels vanish
white-robed children disappear
Let's go see this thing that's happened
says one you can barely hear
Scene 4
The Magi
robed with sequins, crowned with baubles
three young boys bejeweled with bling
​kneel before the wooden manger
​as they'd kneel before a king