The angels in high places Who minister to us, Reflect God's smile—their faces Are luminous; Save one, whose face is hidden, (The Prophet saith), The unwelcome, the unbidden, Azrael, Angel of Death. And yet, that veilèd face, I know Is lit with pitying eyes, Like those faint stars, the first to glow, Through cloudy winter skies. That they may never tire, Angels, by God's decree, Bear wings of snow and fire,— Passion and purity; Save one, all unavailing, (The Prophet saith), His wings are gray and trailing, Azrael, Angel of Death. And yet the souls that Azrael brings Across the dark and cold, Look up beneath those folded wings, And find them lined with gold. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...CONTRA MORTEM: THE CHILD'S BEING by HAYDEN CARRUTH CONTRA MORTEM: THE THAW by HAYDEN CARRUTH MARIA CALLAS, THE WOMAN BEHIND THE LEGEND* by MADELINE DEFREES IN EQUAL SACRIFICE by ROBERT FROST THE FLAME LIGHTS UP by DAVID IGNATOW FINIS by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON |