Wings For Marie

"You believed. You believed in moments not conceived. You believed in me."

 

i have awlays watched you, little soul, and somehow

you’ve always known that i am here.

somehow, you’ve always found comfort in the notion,

and i, in the notion that my job is done well.

 

i have watched you, i have watched over you,

my heroine, my princess,

i have watched you wander through

this breath of life, an ant under eternity’s foot.

yet in all my years, never have i seen something

more precious than your brave smile

as you greet the world each morning.

your strength fascinates me--how you shine

when most crumble.

you are strong.

 

i watched you when you were child

and could still see me.

[though i knew it wouldn’t last]

you would babble about your day,

as if i hadn’t been with you for it.

i watched you as you wrote me letters.

how trusting you were, how much you cared,

i knew how lucky i was, then.

 

i watched you forget about me,

as i faded from your sight, through the years.

i watched you move on with your life.

still, i guarded you,

working in the simplest ways,

yet still managing to help you.

i was disappointed, but content.

 

i watched you, years later,

a breath later,

sweet sixteen.

you were lying on your bed,

staring up at the stars glued on your ceiling.

there were papers in your hand,

covered in misshapen, childish writing.

Dear Angel, Mr. Angel,

letters that still made me smile,

though written years ago.

you sat up, looked around the room.

there was a wary expression on your face,

but all i saw was the stifled wistfulness.

“Angel?”

i smiled, and knew my waiting hadn’t been in vain.

 

i watched you, with barely contained rage,

as your father screamed, raged,

grabbed you, shook you.

i watched you jut your chin out,

defiance battling fear, and refuse to cry,

refuse to shake, refuse to cower.

i watched you, as he shoved you

into the stairs, as you tripped,

as you retreat to the safety of your room.

i watched you shake with fear and fury,

watched the blood drip from your lip,

watched you question, why, why, why?

and to this day, i have no answer.

 

i watched as you trusted, again.

so naïve. i wept as you wept,

heartbroken again, and again, and again,

false friends, and lying lovers,

i grieved the loss of your child-like innocence.

i mourned the cracks that crisscrossed

your fragile life, that marred the happy façade.

the angry father, the absent mother,

the dishonest boys, whose lies you always believed,

the malicious friends.

i felt your pain as if it was my own.

 

i watch you, even now,

as you sit shaking on the bed,

as you nervously stroke the side of the bottle.

i watch you as you wonder

if you will lose your nerve this time,

if you are too weak to follow through this time.

i watch you, in agony,

willing you to put the bottle down,

wanting--needing to tell you that

it’s strength, not weakness, that stays your hand.

i watch you reach in and take a pill out,

still trembling, still unsure. [still strong]

you are stronger than this.

 

i watch as a piece of paper,

dislodged, floats onto the bed.

i watch as you take it,

as you read the short letter.

i watch the tears start streaming down your face.

you drop the paper, let it drift to the ground.

i watch as you look up to the stars on the ceiling,

and whisper, “Thank you, Angel.”

Dear Angel,

Thank you for making mommy come home, I really missed her.

I love you.

-Marie

Awards

The Every day Angel

Sep 18, 2010

• Angels
• Wings For Marie

 

Third Place

Feb 16, 2011

• Most Unique Original Writings
• Wings For Marie

Author's Note

ugh. I can't write anything decent these days.

Reviews

[Shante Payne]

You know what, this is absolutly beautiful. More than decent, you shouuldn't be so hard on yourself. This poem takes the reader on a journey. From a blissful childhood to a abused childhood, to a confused adulthood, if you will. And she (Marie is it?) never lost faith in her Angel that had always been there for her. No matter how hard times were. I love the way it is written from the Angel's point of view...it's awe-inspiring and inspirational. I definately give you 2 thumbs up!

[anne p. murray- LadeeAn..]

This is absolutely mesmerizing and poignantly beautiful. The concept of her guarding angel is precious. You write with much heart and poetic symbiosis

[TheFemininePad]

I thought this was a beautiful read. This really brought me to tears as I read the end of your story. You submitted this poem into my unique and original writings contest, and your story fit the theme of the contest. I thought it was well written.