Angel of Mercy

Angel of Mercy

Sitting on the saddle

of a crescent moon

the Angel of Mercy looks down

upon this wretched jewel

of the universe

called Earth.

This angel of great powers weeps

for the castaways

who suffer indignities

that are too much to bear

and who seek release

from their tormentors.

The Angel of Mercy calls upon

the children we hide

from society and

junkies, whores, criminals, crazies, different, exploited, raped, abused tortured, committed, imprisoned, marginalized, refugees, abandoned, disabled, disregarded

all who despair and who cannot defend themselves against injustice.

The Angel of Mercy beckons

them to follow the canyons

of the universe

to the other side

of the moon

the side that shines bright

from the sun

and knows no darkness.

Upon arrival

they will be greeted by

Van Gogh who shot himself

Modigliani who drank himself to death

will teach them to paint.

Beethoven who went deaf

Mozart who died a pauper

will teach them music

Lincoln, Martin Luther King and Gandhi

who were assassinated

will make them think

of equality and justice for all.

Great opera singers like Callas and Caruso

will bring joy to your voices

to please the ears of all

who hear you.

Great chefs like Julia Child

will teach you how to cook and appreciate

the wonders of spices, fruits, nuts, vegetables, meat, fowl and fishes

of the world.

Botanists will show you

the beauty and colors

of the garden

and smells

that delight the senses.

Jesus who was crucified

will give you

words of comfort

to learn to love yourself.

Nijinsky. Baryshnikov and Pavlova

will help you leap from the stage

to the stars.

Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Miller

will show you the mastery and

the power of the word

to tell your story.

Others will follow and teach you math, physics, astronomy, medicine, engineering, philosophy, languages, culture, history, legends, religions, psychology, metallurgy, geography, oceanography, literature, poetry, mysticism, and magic

and help you understand the connectedness of our past and future.

Then a great gathering

will occur on the white shore of a majestic blue ocean

where you will sit with your teachers

and learn silence, peace and love.

When the lessons are learned

they will rejoice as one

and forgive those who

trespassed against them;

and finally

the Angel of Mercy will weep raindrops

on these disposed inhabitants

to wash the everyday dust from their souls

to make them clean and whole again.

Richard Bibeau

2012