Thomas Paine: A Commentary on the Eastern Wise Men, Travelling to Bethlehem, guided by a Star, to see the little Jesus in a Manger, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew.
The DayPoems Poetry Collection
Timothy Bovee, editor
www.daypoems.net



  Click on the bonsai for the next poem.



DayPoems Forum

Click to submit poems to DayPoems, comment on DayPoems or a poem within, comment on other poetry sites, update links, or simply get in touch. DayPoems Forum.

DayPoems Front

Poetry Whirl
  Google Thomas Paine
  Latest Poetry News

Indexes
  Poems
  Poets
  Editor's poems
  Poetry Places

Poetry Places
  Spinning the Wheel of Dharma
  Scott, J.A. - Pegasus Rose
  Sestina
  Reiff, A.E.
  Poetry of Marie-Madeleine/Baronness von Puttkamer
  Poets In Tents

Nodes powered by
Open Directory Project<br>at dmoz.org
Open Directory Project at dmoz.org


DayPoems Favorites

  PORT: An Online Visual Arts Journal
  A Poet on a Magical Journey Home
  Chronicles of a Sea Woman
  Parallels Studio
  Bipolar Poetry
  Mantra.X
  Poetry, Film and Books
  Poetry Archive

  Project Gutenberg, a huge collection of books as text, produced as a volunteer enterprise starting in 1990. This is the source of the first poetry placed on DayPoems.
  Tina Blue's Beginner's Guide to Prosody, exactly what the title says, and well worth reading.
  Epicanthic Fold: "If a guy somewhere in Asia makes a blog and no one reads it, does it really exist?"
  popomo.net, miniature, minimalist-inspired sculptures created from industrial cereamics, an art project at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
  pink.popomo.net, More projects from Portland
  oarena.net, Furby, Eliza, Mr_Friss and Miss_Friss.
  Save Point 0.8.1, a Portland, Oregon, exhibit, Aug. 13-Sept. 5, 2004, at Disjecta.




D
a
y
P
o
e
m
s

*
D
a
y
P
o
e
m
s

*
D
a
y
P
o
e
m
s

*
D
a
y
P
o
e
m
s

*
D
a
y
P
o
e
m
s

*
D
a
y
P
o
e
m
s

*
D
a
y
P
o
e
m
s

Click here!
Won't you help support DayPoems?

A Commentary on the Eastern Wise Men, Travelling to Bethlehem, guided by a Star, to see the little Jesus in a Manger, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew.

1737.1.29-1809.6.8


Three pedlers traveling to a fair,
To see the fun and what was there,
And sell their merchandise;
They stopp'd upon the road to chat,
Refresh, and ask of this and that,
That they might be more wise.

"And pray," the landlord says to them,
"Where go ye, sirs?" "To Bethlehem,"
The citizens replied.
"You're merchants, sirs?” to them said he,
"We are," replied the pedlers three,
"And Eastern men beside."

pray, what have you in your packs?
If worth the while I will go snacks,"
To them quoth Major Domo;
"We've buckles, buttons, spectacles,
And everything a merchant sells,"
Replied the travelling trio.

These things are very well," said he,
"For beaux and those who cannot see
Much further than their knuckles;
But Bethlehem fair's for boys and girls
Who never think of spectacles,
cannot buy your buckles:

"I have a pack of toys," quoth he,
         A travelling merchant left with me,
Who could not pay his score,
And you shall have them on condition
You sell them at a cheap commission,
And make the money sure."

"There's one of us win stay in pawn,
Until the other two return,
If you suspect our faith," said they;
The landlord thought this was a plan
To leave upon his hands the man,
And therefore he said "Nay."

They truck'd however for the pack,
Which one of them took on his back,
And off the merchants traveled;
And here the tale the apostles told
Of wise men and their gifts of gold,
Will fully be unravelled.

The star in the East that shines so bright,
As might be seen both day and night,
If you will credit them,
It was no other than a sign
To a public house where pedlers dine,
In East Street, Bethlehem.

These wise men were the pedlers three,
As you and all the world may see,
By reading to the end;
For commentators have mistook,
In paraphrasing on a book
They did not understand.

Our travellers coming to a house,
Scarce fit to entertain a mouse,
Inquired to have a room;
The landlord said he was not able,
To give them any but astable,
So many folks were come.

"I pray, whom have you here, say they,
" And how much money must we pay,
For we have none to spare.
"Why, there’s one Joseph and a wench,
Who are to go before the bench
About a love affair.

"Somehow or other, in a manger,
A child exposed to every danger
Was found, as if ‘t was sleeping:
The girl she swears that she’s a maid,
So says the man, but I’m afraid
On me will fall the keeping:

"Now if you 'II set your wits about
To find this knotty matter out,
I 'II pay whate’er it may be.”
Then on the trav’ling pedlers went,
To pay their birthday compliment,
And talk about the baby.

They then unpack'd their pack of toys,
Some were for show and some for noise,
But mostly for the latter;
One gave a rattle, one a whistle,
And one a trumpet made of gristle,
To introduce the matter:

One squeaked away, the other blew,
The third played on the rattle too,
To keep the bantling easy;
And hence this story comes to us,
Of which some people make such fuss,
About the Eastern Magi -


Back to top

DayPoems Poem No. 2597



Comment on DayPoems?

If you are like us, you have strong feelings about poetry, and about each poem you read. Let it all out! Comment on this poem, any poem, DayPoems, other poetry places or the art of poetry at DayPoems Feedback.



Won't you help support DayPoems?


Click here to learn more about how you can keep DayPoems on the Web . . .


Copyright

The DayPoems web site, www.daypoems.net, is copyright 2001-2005 by Timothy K. Bovee. All rights reserved.

The authors of poetry and other material appearing on DayPoems retain full rights to their work. Any requests for publication in other venues must be negotiated separately with the authors. The editor of DayPoems will gladly assist in putting interested parties in contact with the authors.

Google DayPoems


Support DayPoems.

Buy your books here

Latest Chapbooks from Powells!!!

 
Search:
Keywords:
In Association with Amazon.com







Bonsai courtesy of
The Online Bonsai Icon Collection
http://www.hav.com/tobic.html