After Annunciation
Rest, little Guest, Beneath my breast. Feed, sweet Seed, At your need.
I took Love for my lord And this is my reward, My body is good earth. That you, dear Plant, have birth.
Anna Wickham
Rest, little Guest, Beneath my breast. Feed, sweet Seed, At your need.
I took Love for my lord And this is my reward, My body is good earth. That you, dear Plant, have birth.
The speaker, likely Mary just after the angel Gabriel’s announcement, speaks directly to the child growing inside her. She calls him a little guest and a seed, inviting him to rest and feed. There is a soft, lulling quality to the short lines, as if she is crooning to him.
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