Broken Bones in Bethlehem

We are West
not East
Not blessed
No beasts
No straw
That would thaw
the surface
Just the scratch and scrape of blades
as they cut deep
No sheep
or shepherds here
Just fear.
Illuminated trees surround the rink
of ice
And thrice
I fall
No Magi
in this stall
Hard wet and cold
Beginners hold
on to the wall
And cry
under a starless sky
Roman troops
blast their way through novice groups
Skating fast
A crash
A smack
A slip
A CRACK
punctures the night
Lights burn bright
No smell of dung
No carols sung
No baby sleeps
This skater weeps
and in 6 to 8 weeks
Christmas present will be past
As this cast
of broken bones leaves Bethlehem