He never really liked her, his Mary
too pure, too fuckin’ pious
not interested in frolicking in bed
kamasutra-ing new positions
tangling like Twister
actually a bit of a bore
hours spent on calloused knees
murmuring strings of nonsense
instead of fixing him steak and fries

Glad she said god was the father
glad she said she was a virgin
no #metoo gonna happen here
he has no interest in raising a brat
that keeps him up at night & turns
into a cocky kid flipping tables
& shouting crypto currency is a false god
a teenager who insists on becoming a carpenter
instead of a doctor or dotcom CEO

Joseph, staring at three men
with painted cardboard crowns,
some scruffy shepherds &
a motley assortment of beasts
that stink to highest heaven
Joseph, a minor character
with a cameo appearance
sneaks behind the stable, slurping
scotch & slugging Listerine
texting Ruth or Esther or Delilah

Claire Scott is an award-winning poet who has received multiple Pushcart Prize nominations. Her work has appeared in the Atlanta Review, Bellevue Literary Review, New Ohio Review and Healing Muse among others. Claire is the author of Waiting to be Called and Until I Couldn’t. She is the co-author of Unfolding in Light: A Sisters’ Journey in Photography and Poetry.