Dream of the Magi: poem by Jane Blanchard

Dream of the Magi, 12th-century stone carving by Gislebertus

Dream of the Magi

They might have found sleep easier

In some bed roomier for them

Once gold and frankincense and myrrh

Were duly brought to Bethlehem.

They share a rug-like coverlet,

A bolster of perhaps crochet;

Upon each head a crown is set

In this worn Romanesque display.

An angel gently wakes one man

By touching his extended hand

While pointing out the change of plan

All are supposed to understand.

Above still shines the special star

Which has shown them the way so far.

(Previously published in The French Literary Review, Fall 2021 issue,

this sonnet examines the early-12th-century stone carving by Gislebertus

depicting Matthew 2:12 for the Cathedral of Saint-Lazare in Autun, France.)

"And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod,

they returned to their own country by another route."

Matthew 2:12

Jane Blanchard lives and writes in Augusta, Georgia. Her latest collection is

Metes and Bounds (Kelsay Books, 2023).

February 2025 issue