The sidewalk is ingrained with years' worth of filth and dirt, and now one more layer of water is sinking in. The road encroaching it is filled with as many puddles as potholes, and as cars pass, foul rainwater lurches out, splattering unwary pedestrians.
One man wears a long, black coat that almost touches the top of his grimy brown boots, with an upturned collar that shadows most of his face. Slightly frightened, weary brown eyes peer out, blinking suddenly as he is sprayed with water. His hair, already disheveled to say the least, is now drenched and a considerably darker shade.
He stumbles along, his ragged appearance and clumsiness giving off the impression that he is drunk, most probably after losing a game (or twenty) down at Vegas. People push past him, disgust flickering on their faces as they press their children closer to themselves. Suddenly, the man falls to the ground with a subdued cry. Instinctively reaching out, his stubby, grubby fingers brush the arm of a woman in a bright pink, flower print dress.
She lets out a squawk of surprise and automatically scoops up her daughter, who squirms and peeks over her shoulder. The woman turns and glowers at him, icily asking him, "Just what do you think you're doing?"
Scrambling to his feet, the man apologetically says, "I'm sorry, I fell and my fingers touched your bag."
He stares into her eyes earnestly, dripping wet. Grumbling, she snarls, "So you're a thief as well as a liar. That's very fine. You'll get your reward for that, mark my words."
"A thief I may be on occasion, but a liar I am not," he replied simply.
The woman sneered, then turned and marched away. Dressed in a plain, navy blue dress and patent leather shoes, the little girl glanced at him, wide-eyed, as a small, glowing orb landed in her hands.
He winked and then saluted her, and she solemnly saluted him in return, before the crowd swallowed them.
My Angel
I built her with the whitest snow
the clearest ice
the brightest flames
I built her with the softest clouds
the shiniest metal
the prettiest piece of sky
I built her with the sharpest glass
the loveliest feather
the sweetest nectar from the reddest rose
I built her out of dreams
and out of the sweetest chocolates of all
I built her out of my heart
and out of love
I built her
She soared across a sky of hope
She nestled safely in a cloud
She flew down and laughed in wonder
as her fingers skimmed the trembling grass
She marveled as she hugged a tree
felt the rugged lines that braved so much
She kissed a baby's little toe
and carefully caressed a flower's petal
She held a cold, smooth, black stone
and stroked its worn surface
She closed her fingers one by one around it
and cooed softly, cradling the stone
Then finally she opened her fist
and the stone was a stone no more
but a white, white dove
She smiled as the whitest dove of all
spread its wings and flew
away away away
She whispered secrets to the grass
and listened as they whispered ones back
clapping her hands in the purest joy
and laughing a sweet, untainted laugh
She laid a finger on a dying sapling
She sang a little song
and watched in admiration as the sapling
grew big and strong
She watched in awe as a beetle
crawled across her finger
She brought it close to her heart and whispered:
"Prettiest creature of them all."
She circled around an old, old man
Who lay, eyes closed, breath hard,
and strained,
and slow
She kissed his wrinkled, weary cheek
She held his tired hand
and then his eyes opened wide
his breath quickened
he leapt right out of bed and
strangest thing of all
he danced!
She sang with the birds
She jumped with the frogs
She listened with the rabbits
She ran with the horses
She flew the butterflies
She whispered with the wind
And then one day she told me
She said she had to go
I pleaded with her
begged her not to leave
But she shook her head so sadly
and said she had no choice
She said good-bye to the animals
and to the trees
and the bugs
and the grass
and the clouds
and the skies
and then finally to me
She said to remember
times sweetest of all
She said to be brave
and joyful
and happy
and sad
She said to be determined
and do what you must
She said to recall
that our hearts are all the same
that words can hurt
and smiles can heal
She said to sing
and to dance
to laugh
and to smile
And finally she whispered
She will always be with me
in my heart
with my dreams and my love
to guide me
and teach me
to show what's right and what's wrong
to love me
She flew up, up, up
into the promising sky
and gave me one last look
a smile resting on her lips
a tear dropping from her crystal eyes
"Don't forget," she murmured. "Don't forget."
And then she disappeared
a small white dot
in a big blue sky
a small white dot
forever gone
I wept a tear
and then another
falling down my cheeks
and landing on the crying grass
And then I put my hand on my heart
and felt warmth encompass me
felt her smile
felt her laugh
felt her love, most of all
And I knew
She was there
My Angel
the clearest ice
the brightest flames
I built her with the softest clouds
the shiniest metal
the prettiest piece of sky
I built her with the sharpest glass
the loveliest feather
the sweetest nectar from the reddest rose
I built her out of dreams
and out of the sweetest chocolates of all
I built her out of my heart
and out of love
I built her
She soared across a sky of hope
She nestled safely in a cloud
She flew down and laughed in wonder
as her fingers skimmed the trembling grass
She marveled as she hugged a tree
felt the rugged lines that braved so much
She kissed a baby's little toe
and carefully caressed a flower's petal
She held a cold, smooth, black stone
and stroked its worn surface
She closed her fingers one by one around it
and cooed softly, cradling the stone
Then finally she opened her fist
and the stone was a stone no more
but a white, white dove
She smiled as the whitest dove of all
spread its wings and flew
away away away
She whispered secrets to the grass
and listened as they whispered ones back
clapping her hands in the purest joy
and laughing a sweet, untainted laugh
She laid a finger on a dying sapling
She sang a little song
and watched in admiration as the sapling
grew big and strong
She watched in awe as a beetle
crawled across her finger
She brought it close to her heart and whispered:
"Prettiest creature of them all."
She circled around an old, old man
Who lay, eyes closed, breath hard,
and strained,
and slow
She kissed his wrinkled, weary cheek
She held his tired hand
and then his eyes opened wide
his breath quickened
he leapt right out of bed and
strangest thing of all
he danced!
She sang with the birds
She jumped with the frogs
She listened with the rabbits
She ran with the horses
She flew the butterflies
She whispered with the wind
And then one day she told me
She said she had to go
I pleaded with her
begged her not to leave
But she shook her head so sadly
and said she had no choice
She said good-bye to the animals
and to the trees
and the bugs
and the grass
and the clouds
and the skies
and then finally to me
She said to remember
times sweetest of all
She said to be brave
and joyful
and happy
and sad
She said to be determined
and do what you must
She said to recall
that our hearts are all the same
that words can hurt
and smiles can heal
She said to sing
and to dance
to laugh
and to smile
And finally she whispered
She will always be with me
in my heart
with my dreams and my love
to guide me
and teach me
to show what's right and what's wrong
to love me
She flew up, up, up
into the promising sky
and gave me one last look
a smile resting on her lips
a tear dropping from her crystal eyes
"Don't forget," she murmured. "Don't forget."
And then she disappeared
a small white dot
in a big blue sky
a small white dot
forever gone
I wept a tear
and then another
falling down my cheeks
and landing on the crying grass
And then I put my hand on my heart
and felt warmth encompass me
felt her smile
felt her laugh
felt her love, most of all
And I knew
She was there
My Angel
