The Christmas Baby

Poem by Galadriel Faye

Grounded, I quietly climb out of my bedroom window.
The world peacefully content at 4 a.m.
I walk to the bus stop alone,
O, Silent Night.

The holy ghost came upon Mary
Filling her with child.
A teenage boy overshadowed me
When I said no,
O, Holy Night.

My 15th birthday, the annunciation—
I am 4 months pregnant.
God has chosen me to be your mother,
But forgot to show me how to keep you.

Latch key, child of neglect and addiction
Absently absorbed parents don’t notice my growing bump.
New bedroom lock, just a temporary break from the abuse
I fight off every night.
My only family is you.

We fall asleep on the gently rocking bus.
I hum to you Jingle Bells
And dream of my soon empty manger.
I wake up crying.
There is no shelter for us.

The bus driver never called our stop.
I had gotten on the wrong bus—followed the wrong star.
If this was an 80s teen movie—this would be the Sign.
I would have earned a GED, supported us with my fast-food job.
At the end, you’d be valedictorian,
There was no Christmas miracle — no manger for us.

---

---

Galadriel is a MFA in Creative Writing candidate at Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles, CA. Her poem, Mr. Rabbit was recently accepted by The Rush Magazine. To view more of her work visit https://fullmoontales.com.