Advent 3: Wednesday

Prophets
by Anne Porter

Once in the Advent season	They scraped up all the ashes
When I was walking down	And with them decorated
A narrow street	Each other’s faces
.	.
I met a flock of children	Then they ran back to me
Who all came running up to me	And stood
Saying that they were prophets	In a circle ‘round me
And for a penny they	.
Would prophesy	We stood that way
.	In a solemn silence
I gave them each a penny	Until
.	One of the children spoke
They started out	.
By rummaging in trash-cans	It was the prophecy!
Until they found	.
A ragged piece of silk	He said that long before
.	The pear tree blossoms
It’s blue, they said	Or sparrows in the hedges
Blue is a holy color	Begin to sing
Blue is the color that	.
The mountains are	A Child will be our King.
When they are far away
.
They laid the rag
On a small fire
Of newspaper and shavings
And burned it in the street