#ALERT: I HEAR THE SIRENS

i hear the sirens
at least once a night
screaming past in red blue light
waking me out of sleep, sometimes, and
reminding me that
everything is broken.

did the angels come like sirens?
to those shepherds keeping watch at night
shining bright with glory light, or when they
woke joseph from his sleep that time?
reminding him
not to be afraid.

did the baby cry like sirens?
held close to the young girl’s heart that night,
below the white light star of foreign kings, treasuring the hope
as she wakes within a restless sleep,
reminding her
not to be afraid.

did you send them out like sirens?
no promise of a bed at night, nothing but themselves to carry,
only casting out a kingdom light
to wake up all these sleeping cities,
reminding them
not to be afraid.

you say you’ll
come again like sirens and
remind us
not to be afraid.