A Christmas Journey

The name Silk Road was only coined in the 19th Century but the road has existed for millennia. Coming from the East, wise men would follow the star Westward.

 

Fleet of foot, relentless, moving West,          

Treading the ancient Silk Road,                                

The caravan pursues a light,            

With pace unceasing, resting rarely, lest     

The strange, bright, western dawn-glow      

Should be lost.         

 

From the south, through mountains’ dizzy height,                            

Travellers through lofty passes come;         

Following snow-reflected western glow.      

A princely, leader rides toward the light        

To join the ancient Silk Road, far below       

Leading West.           

 

Their paths have met and even as they speak,                                 

Along the ancient Silk Road,                         

The riders see ahead a strange new group;                                     

Camel-mounted, exiting the desert’s track   

Where, glistening on the dunes, the starlight’s shine                        

Leads them West.    

 

Together, ever onward, following the light,   

Magi journey fast toward the star,                 

For such it is, along the Silk Road.

And in the starry firmament, diamond bright,

The star of stars, unceasing, unrelenting,                

Leads them west into the liquid night.                                  

 

What do we seek, that we bring gifts so rare?                                  

“Can it be a king, a prince?” they ask.          

The star, now blazing the way ahead,                      

Lights the Silk Road Westward, bright and fair.        

Seeing a palace, they halted there,

And asking, were made welcome.                           

 

“Go, search with diligence and bring to me”,                                     

The king says, “news that I may also gift the child,                           

If, at the end, a prince it be,”                         

Then whispers to his men, “Kill all boys under three!”                      

The travellers rode on, uneasy now,                                     

To find their goal

 

The Star has stopped. It lights a stable, bare                                    

Save for a mother, new born child and kindly man,                          

Kneeling shepherds, wondering Magi, sheep,                                   

Gifts of gold, of frankincense, of myrrh.        

Hosts of angels, fill a glowing sky                 

With sound and light and praise.                  

 

A king is born! The Magi leave the joyous scene,                             

With praise and glory ringing in their ears,   

While God, allowing to the family, rest,       

Warns them of Herod’s evil in a dream.                   

So, all depart, travelling by secret routes;                            

The child to Egypt; the Magi travelling East,  

On the Silk Road.                  

 

 

 

 

 

John L. Berry 4^th December, 2003                           

Author's Note

Written during the preparation of a lecture I delivered on the Silk Road, when it occured to me that the Magi would probably have travelled this very highway. It is not a single road but a swathe of transit across a continent as road after road merges to reach the West. Interesting to note the official end is in Rome.

Reviews

[Fabian G. Franklin]

What a wonderful read here close to Christmas. Isnt it strange that tradition has priests of Zoroaster visiting Christ...or maybe not so strange since Daniel the prophet was once chief of the Magi, according to the Bible. Perhaps the prophecy of the Christ was sent down from Daniel, interesting notion, it could be so.

[An owl on the moon]

Your writing here is both profound and powerful, beautifully displaying the scene we celebrate and wonder over each year. The contrasts are magnified through the opulence of the Magi and the apparent poverty of this small family. Yet hidden in near obscurity was the King of kings. Thank you for sharing this lifting poem that reminds us of the depth of Christmas...

[A sea person]

Beautifully well written! I love how you incorporated the Christmas story with the famous road. Thank you for submitting this to my Christmas contest!

[emmajoy]

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful !!

How you've managed to write such amazing words yet achieved such fine 'technical' skill is remarkable.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing..

[Angel Baby]

I truly loved reading this, and wish I had done so sooner. This is so breathtaking, made me feel as though I was taking the journey. WELL DONE!!! PW