Virgo at Dawn

it’s been a long night
what with the neon
singeing NO VACANCY
and the artillery

shelling in the near distance
(that is, the heavenly hosts)
and the unexpected guests
smelling of lanolin

traipsing in one muddy-
rugby face after the other
and all their other buddies
that they’ve rousted out of bed:

coal miners and wildcatters
and lantern merchants
(noisy and oily all) not to mention
the birth of the boy and Joseph’s only

tunic soused – but dry now – with midwifery
so yawn Mary yawn
(the guests are all gone or passed out
on the periphery of the dying

fire)
it’s been a long night
and it’s almost dawn
almost