the work of angel wings redux: in which I wish my Eye happy birthday

In celebration of EyeJunkie’s one-year birthday, here is a republishing of my very first post from May 6, 2008–with a new added illustration (“A is for Angel”). This experience and experiment in “citizen media” has been very rewarding. I am deeply honored that you have chosen to read “my stuff” and to share this journey toward a life of paying attention. You’ve been privy to obsessions, pet peeves, frustrations, lessons, opinions, incessant pictures of cute children and all the other “stuff” of my days. I don’t claim that it’s always good “stuff,” but that it is honest and real, reflective of the complexity and annoyance and indecision and certainty and pure joy of life on the ground, running.

This poem has been around for a while. I wrote it about wonder and responsibility, thinking of the help we need and where we get it. I wrote it to remind myself to relieve all those guardian angels hovering. To lighten their workload. To take up the work myself. To BE the eyes, the hands, the smile, the tissue, the voice, the applause, the light, the love… the keyboard. Enjoy anew.

the work of angel wings

angel wings are all around us
in an invisible embrace.
they are the rustle of leaves on a tree
as we walk by.
they are the tiny stars we can barely see
and the halo around the lights at night.

the angels are our companions.

they see us when noone is there
with eyes that soothe a troubled spirit.
they sing us the songs in our head.

angel wings shoo away some of our memories
when we need more time to say goodbye.
they stir up the gentle breeze
of a deep breath and a sigh when we start again.
they soak up our tears
and they fan the sparkle in our eyes when we laugh.

at times the angels back away
when they sense someone has seen them
and the brush of their wings.
when they know one of us has learned their way
and thus joined the myriad.

listen…
you can hear the quiet flutter of flight.
the moment when the eyes
or the voice
or the hands of a human
takes over
to do the work of angel wings.