Announcement

Haiku of surprise

Angel Gabriel
finds himself in Nazareth
talking to a girl.

Her name was Mary,
engaged to marry Joseph
of King David’s line.

Greetings, favoured one,
said the messenger from God.
The Lord is with you.

Do not be afraid.
You will conceive, bear a son,
and call him Jesus.

Destined for greatness,
he’ll sit upon David’s throne,
he’ll reign forever

This cannot happen;
I’ve never been with a man.
The Lord will do it.

What say you, Mary?
It’s a most daunting prospect;
are you up for it?

I’m here, said Mary,
God’s servant. Let it happen
to me as you say.

© Ken Rookes 2023

Annunciation

Improbable Haiku

Annunciation;
a big word for an event
cloaked in mystery.

What really happened?
Only sceptics such as me
would ask that question.

Greetings, favoured one!
The angel addresses her,
claims her attention.

The girl, young, awestruck
by news of a pregnancy.
How would I respond?

How can these things be?
The girl has not known a man;
it’s not possible.

Ah, the story goes;
you will be overshadowed
by the Most High God.

You’ll have a baby.
You will call the child Jesus;
he will be God’s Son.

 

© Ken Rookes 2020

Annunciation

Linocut. From the Jesus and the Goths series.  C. Ken Rookes

Annunciation

Haiku of wonder

In these ancient tales
unexpected pregnancies
convey the wonder.

God, they assure us,
is at last doing something
to sort the world out.

An agéd woman
has managed to conceive, now
it’s her cousin’s turn.

The angel’s busy
conveying surprising news.
The girl is nonplussed.

Do not be afraid!
Easy to say, Gabriel;
it isn’t your womb!

You will bear a son.
You’ll call him Jesus. He will
do amazing things!

That, we know is true.
We will follow his story;
we will follow him.

Her fears overcome,
the girl agrees, allowing
events to proceed.

Only Luke gives us
these strange announcement stories,
stretching the waiting.

We’re left to ponder:
is wonder the same as truth;
and does it matter?

 

© Ken Rookes 2017.

Scenario

 

Like a scene from a carefully crafted play,
the angel messenger from above,
an apparition in glowing white
given the name of Gabriel,
passes uninvited through the door
(enter stage left), and approaches
the girl. The wardrobe department
has also dressed her in white,
for reasons which will become apparent.
It is a contest in whiteness.

The heavenly envoy tells the girl not to fear,
that she will give birth
to a Child of Light;
one who, when the stage lights are dimmed
for the penultimate scene,
will continue to shine
for all humankind.
The girl protests the improbability
of such a scenario;
she has not known a man.

She is told that the script for the second act
has already been written.
A divine spark
will overturn the laws of biology
when she is overshadowed
by a mysterious spirit something;
she has only to accept the role.
She does, without actually seeing the script,
thus allowing the rest of the drama
to proceed to its unpredicted ending.

 

 

© Ken Rookes 2014.