Christmas Trail Ride - a Rhymed Activity on the Nativity

(This Poem Recently Won 2nd Place for Professional Poetry in a Nationwide Christmas Horse Contest.)

Linda Ann Nickerson
When Mary went to Bethlehem,
She rode atop an ass, but then,
The trail was arduous and coarse;
Perhaps she traveled on a horse.

Twas many miles from Nazareth,
A donkey'd have to catch his breath.
The Virgin, nine months pregnant, glowed.
A burro couldn't bear the load.

Perhaps it was a Quarterhorse,
She's have a sturdy frame, of course.
A Clydesdale, Holsteiner or Shire
Would carry her through mud and mire.

An Andalusian or Trakehner
Barrel-racing Paint or reiner
Would be perfect for the task,
Everything that Joseph asked.

A gaited horse or Thoroughbred,
A Shetland pony, bay or red,
Could have made the rustic trek,
Without strain to back or neck.

An Appy or Arabian
Could gladly see the journey done.
But donkey? Could he make the trip?
Would he buck, refuse, or flip?

A lovely horse would lend some class,
And yet, we're told it was an ass
That carried then the unborn King,
Divine humility to bring.

For quietly, the scene was set;
The inn, it had no rooms to let.
The beasts, they served as midwives there,
As our Creator came to share.

The King of Kings, born in a stall,
Amid the shavings, muck and all,
For glory comes in meeker clothes,
Not always just as we suppose.

Published by Linda Ann Nickerson - Featured Contributor in Lifestyle and Sports

Linda Ann Nickerson brings decades of reporting and a globally minded Midwestern perspective to a host of topics, balancing human interest with history, hard facts and often humor.  View profile

12 Comments

Post a Comment
  • Cordie Kellerman12/12/2009

    Well done, and well deserved win.

  • JA Huber12/21/2008

    Beautiful poem and congratulations!

  • Amy Brantley12/14/2007

    Cute :)

  • Elena H.12/11/2007

    Deserved to win-enjoyed the poem.

  • Kady Burney12/11/2007

    God has inspired you!

  • Christine Bude12/10/2007

    Very lovely

  • Jan S12/10/2007

    I love horses too, can't you tell by my avatar? An interesting bit of trivia about the ancient Hebrew people; they did not use horses and shunned anyone that did. To them horses reminded them of their captivity in Egypt, where horses were a sign of power and wealth.

  • robritt12/10/2007

    Excelent as always, no wonder you won.

  • Lenora Murdock12/10/2007

    Beautiful poem, beautifully written. I love the sentiment, too.

  • Marsha Coles12/10/2007

    That was great, very different! Well done!

Displaying Comments
Next »

To comment, please sign in to your Yahoo! account, or sign up for a new account.