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Submission<\/strong><\/p>\n Instead of a short poem <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Penelope Shuttle<\/strong> has published ten collections since 1980. UNSENT: New and Selected Poems, 1980 \u2013 2012<\/em> appeared from Bloodaxe Books in October 2012.\u00a0 Redgrove\u2019s Wife<\/em>, (2006) was shortlisted for The Forward Prize and for the T S Eliot Award.\u00a0 In the Snowy Air\u00a0<\/em> (Templar) is her most recent publication<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Not three wise men<\/strong><\/p>\n Not<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s more we know about what Three<\/strong><\/p>\n The bible story certainly doesn\u2019t claim Wise<\/strong><\/p>\n It all depends how wise you think it was Men<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s no suggestion in the bible <\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\na sonnet say or a villanelle
\nI\u2019m writing a very long one
\nperhaps about Christmas
\nperhaps not
\nforged out of iron words
\nand irony
\nand when I send it to you
\nHelen
\nit will arrive not by email
\nbut stashed on a big low-loader \u2013
\nyou\u2019ll know my poem is on the way
\nby the swirly blue watch-out lights
\nof its mile-long police motorcycle escort
\napproaching Norwich<\/p>\n
\nthey were not, than what they were.
\nFor instance, they were not from
\nthe West, were not completely
\nuneducated, and rather than existing
\nin real life, they might have been
\nmetaphors or symbols.<\/p>\n
\nthat there were three of them
\nor any other number.
\nThe plural noun is used, and so it\u2019s fair
\nto deduce that at least two were involved.
\nBut any number of people can arrive
\nbearing three sorts of gifts. Maybe half a dozen
\nwere needed to carry the gold \u2013 or perhaps
\na single individual gave the baby a golden ring.
\nThe original idea of giving frankincense
\nto suggest a priestly function could have occurred
\nto several romantic, rather religious visitors,
\nwhile others just liked the smell. As for myrrh,
\nit was probably borne by someone who suffered
\noccasional deep depressions. I only hope
\nit didn\u2019t frighten the child\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n
\nto set off across the desert, following a star.
\nCertainly the gospel story would suggest
\nthat despite the difficulties and dangers
\nthe choice they made turned out to be
\na wise one.
\nBut wise in the conventional sense?
\nNo, I don\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n
\nthat all these eastern visitors were male.
\nIf they were sages, astronomers or intellectuals,
\nthen it\u2019s more than possible
\nthat some of them were women.
\nAfter all, which gender is more likely
\nto travel miles to visit a new baby,
\nand shower him with gifts?
\nIt\u2019s a great story, which like the magi
\nhas travelled down many years
\npicking up various particles
\nof dust along the way;
\nbut whatever else it\u2019s all about
\nit\u2019s surely not three wise men.<\/p>\n