Halahoyi! Africans something stinks

like the ground snake, fouling the air.

Mercy! It's the words of poets.

I'm here, still alive and no poet.

I came when they said I'd come,

I'll roar returning to where I began,

babes at the breast even swear by me,

kings prance and stamp in the yards.

Sing a song to God Almighty,

glorify and praise him highly,

sing, all you old and young,

sing a new song now.

Come all of you, come today!

This child here opens his arms to all.

Come as well, you aimless tramps,

come let the child here care for you.

Swell your hymns of praise,

thud your sounding drums,

see him through the eyes of faith

and sink in awe to your knees.

There he is crushed on the cross

for Adam's sins and his family's,

this son of God who has appeared

and cleansed us through his humanity.

He came for love of his people,

washed in water and the word of might,

a king of peace who carried peace,

bringing bliss to the hard of heart.

Hosanna to the son of David

on the mountain slopes of Gilead.

Through his coming our foes were humbled

and the youth of our nation emboldened.

This child arrived with wonders,

he brought salvation and we all wondered.

There was nothing slack in his preaching style:

robbers took to their heels.

He came and startled the world

and shattered all the earth's pillars.

Mercy, Elephant browsing homewards,

who fell at Golgotha in lingering pain.

This child arrived with Mary:

in the far Kalahari I heard of them,

I called to those who took to the hills

to tell them the tale of these sources of mercy.

Hosanna to the son of David

on the mountain slopes of Gilead.

You Jews with hairy ears, rebound

to that mighty log in Judea's Bethlehem.

The lid was placed on your pot, black home,

that day your country rumbled and trembled.

Hosanna to him, heaven-mellowed.

Roar, angels with feathers of gold.

When he comes he will seem to be bearing a roof

but his load is merely his multitudes.

Roar, oceans! Frolic, continents!

We poets are wont to raise dust.