The pre-k nativity scene needs

a new Joseph. The old one  home

with the flu–his stand-in more

friendly–but more stout. Momentarily

frustrated the old grand master decides

on the fly to use one of his wife’s

good bed sheets. He will regret this

later, alas the show must go on. So with

a decisive hole cut out for Jesus’ earthly

Dad’s overly large head and with palm

trees made of oak tag and tissue paper

wilting in all the wrong directions (a bad

artistic choice taken 10 years back to create

a more authentic Christmas in the desert

experience) they have suffered from

being stored improperly with the outdated

food pyramid, and so all are tossed

into the wrong recycle bin. With

no budget and no time, uses paper

towels, safety pins and crosses sticky

fingers. Disaster averted, a new

and improved Joseph makes his grand

entrance, Judgment day will have

to wait until the spring thaw.

KELLY J. POWELL is a poet Native to Long Island. A graduate of SUNY Binghamton’s

Literature and Rhetoric program, she has been published and performed widely

on Long Island and NYC. Her recent book Posthumously Yours is now available.