The Year Christmas Was Cancelled In Bethlehem Poem by Dela Bobobee

Oh! Bethlehem In Bethlehem, where yuletide cheer should bloom,
Christmas canceled, a tale of woe and gloom.
No carolers singing, no festive display,
For conflict has stolen the joy away.

In Manger Square, where once tourists flocked,
Empty roads, closed shops, all festivities blocked.
The Church of Nativity, once bustling and bright,
Now silent, closed doors on this holy night.

Pilgrims steer clear, fear the conflict's grasp,
Checkpoints and barriers, a holiday's clasp.
Businesses suffer, from hotels to the stalls,
Olive wood carvings untouched in the halls.

Church leaders proclaim, in solidarity stand,
No Christmas joy in the Holy Land.
A tale of mourning for Gaza's plight,
A parallel drawn, a somber night.

Dr. Raheb speaks of a story profound,
A displaced family, echoes resound.
Jesus born 'neath a Bethlehem star,
Now nativity scenes under rubble afar.

The Walled Off hotel, by Banksy designed,
Shutters closed, artistic dreams confined.
Tantur Institute, on a hilltop it stands,
Ecumenical dreams crushed by conflict's hands.

A pastor's plea, 'Christ born 'neath the rubble,
A powerful message, a world in trouble.'
In Bethlehem's sadness and broken cheer,
Gaza's pain echoes, loud and clear.

So, here's a carol for Bethlehem's plight,
A satire of sorrow, a poetic fight. Christmas canceled, a town left forlorn,
In the land where the Savior was born.