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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Vigil of Angels


Always ready to do His bidding
The mighty, patient one stands alongside,
With watchful, tender, gleaming eye
Knowing how to trust and judging
Not by labored breath or pain etched face
But keenly watching the soul prepare for the journey;
Growing steadily more beautiful in grace,
Fingers of earth loosening their grasp
And the hands of the trusting spirit lifting toward
God and His Remarkable Kingdom.

Wings at the ready,
Caring hands laying unseen
Upon the shoulder
Ready to gather up and fly away
When the Moment arrives
Even as other Escorts from Beyond
Gather to sing their Flight Songs
In music of mysterious strength,
Spirit-fueled, strangely-gentle,
Other-worldly calm.

At the bedside
Earth-born loved ones mix pondering thoughts—
How Death greets all with coldness
And seeming randomness
Even as baptized brows sense
The presence of winged Goodness from Beyond
And grow stronger in their earthly shells of grace
While tears mingle grief and faith
Unshed or flowing freely over
One so loved.

O Christ, Bearer of our all.
At the hour of our departing the need is great.
Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison.



Nancy Gerst, July 15, 2009