Christmas Card Valentine

This is a history
of three gazes
that return us
to the first days
of our childhoods
the six year old
half-kneeling Baptist
boy gazes up
in wonderment at
the Jesus boy who’s
standing leaning
against his seated
mother’s knee
her left hand holding
his left arm
their gazes locked
together while he
seems to be explaining
something to her
gesturing toward
the Baptist boy
something about which
her gaze stays open
but uncertain
behind them is the
strangest garden
in the world.