“The Nativity of Christ,” by Robert Southwell

This poem lies in manger press’d, as hay the brutest sinner to refresh.

Well, I had this all queued up on the 24th to complement the tannins of Plath’s nativity poem.  And then I forgot to hit “Schedule” and left my computer for a few days.  So here it is now.

Southwell wrote it as a Catholic missionary in reformation England. I was reminded of it when I read an article called “The Poetry of Christmas” earlier this month over at PBS’ Religion & Ethics Newsweekly.  And I read it from Luminarium.org. Merry Christmas.  Again.