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JOSIE'S POEMS

Christmas Story-Poems 
for Children


By Josie Whitehead

Cross & Heart
Cross & Heart

THE BEST DONKEY OF THEM ALL
 

By Josie Whitehead 

Best Donkey of Them All (The)

There was a field in Nazareth,

     Beside a joiner's yard. 
A little donkey stood and sighed -

   His life had been so hard.


'I’m getting old and not much use

     For carrying heavy loads -
For trudging round the town all day

    On hot and dusty roads.'

His kindly master, Joseph, said:

   'You mustn’t worry now.
Just spend your old age quietly

    With Bess, our milking cow.'


So Bess and he stayed in the field

    And watched the world go by,
When, suddenly from Heaven, appeared

     An angel in the sky.

'There’s one last job on earth for you –        A journey to be done.
A special donkey’s what we need

    For Mary and her son.


'From Nazareth to Bethlehem,

    That is the road to take.
We’ve chosen you to do this task,

     Especially for God’s sake.'

'But I am old and useless!'

      The little donkey cried -
'But, there again, I’d like the job

      For I feel quite young inside.'


The day arrived and off they set

     In sunshine warm and bright.
They travelled over dusty roads

     Arriving before night.

There were such a lot of people -

     Bethlehem was really packed -
And many other donkeys came

     With loads upon their backs.


The only place they all could rest

    Was in a stable, warm.
The little donkey stood nearby

    When Jesus Christ was born.

 

He went to sleep so happy:

    'I’m not useless after all.'
He dreamed about an angel who

    Came to his stable stall.


'Your work on earth is finished.

    Come to Heaven and take your rest.
God will love to have you with Him.

     Of all donkeys you’re the best.' 

 

Copyright on all my poems

NOTE:  In fact the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem probably took a week, according to what I read about the distance.  They probably travelled in the spring as travelling all that long way in bad winter weather would have been very dangerous for them.  So, what do you all think?  Josie 

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