408 - The Other Grandmother

The Other Grandmother
By Kathy Coffey

What of Joseph's mother?
Unstoried and unsung,
did she question the,
poignant girl, and
hunt her son's resemblance
in the mysterious child?

Or did she, like others in the story,
build from doubt a ladder to delight
in a newborn fist and wobbly head?
She didn't guess that God
might clothe himself in skin,
or stir at her whisper, "grandson."

A frequent contributor to Theology Today, Kathy Coffey teaches English at the University of Colorado, Denver, and at Regis College. Her work has also appeared in America, Spiritual Life, National Catholic Reporter, and the Christian Century.