Angels go before and behind me, I'm told
I’ve never seen them; yet
Only through the eye of my dreams
Where in feeble woes, I yet scream
Upon secret, hidden troves
Searching for snow flower doves and rose gardens
Looking up, as Daniel did, upon burning skins of topaz dressed in purest white linens
Their faces like a precipitous glow
Their voices like concourses of heavenly drums singing in perfect unison
They stare at you with torches in their eyes
These are the angels of God
Their arms gleam wide of bronzed starlight
Bolts of lightning dash from their tongues
Thus at their mere presence would man tremble to earth and devils recoil as hissing snakes into their dark places
I vie for angels bright and gleaming to lead my every step and to travel behind me, steadfastly composing mighty battalions in my favor
For when angels are near, what is fear?
Fear has not hope or home within us then
Fear has not power when we believe there are angels before us and angels behind us, buoying us up
What’s left?
A gentle repose
A prayer
A song
A lasting, faithful hope
God is near