The verses are: Elizabeth, Mary, Jesus, and us.
We fled from them, from prying eyes and gossiping lips
That wouldn't wish us well,
Their tittle-tattle tale-telling poison-pouring
Seeking to damage my long healed hurts,
Stealing up on my pregnant pause
I hide in hidden hills; hard stones my succour.
~
She came to us, followed by a fellowship of half-truth fancies,
Dreading death-dealing doubters
Seeking to stone her for imagined error,
Looking to me to care-comfort her
Breaking boldly in, this ark of awesome
Light that treasures such a jewel of lifesomeness.
~
He came to us, in his own audacity, hidden by dark
Veiled from man's violent visage,
That one Word spoken, that once said, is set loose,
Seeking lostness yet finds us first,
Robbing the emptiness of our eternity,
Life beholding life in feminine frames.
~
He was born of us, in precious pain and perpetual joy:
You and me, women and men, even children;
The star-born seed of our plainest poverty,
Seeking a womb to house himself in
An inn to welcome his lonely wandering life,
Not in gorgeous glory, but our lasting love.
~