Of Beauty Beyond Sublime.

Beauty
Within beauty -
Such is how
I see you.

Over and over
I have wondered
Of your origins -
Your breathless beauty.

And now I know.
I know and now
I will tell you
What you don't know.

------------

An eternity ago
Before all came to be
Your existence was -
As an Angel.

Not just any Angel
But the most beautiful -
The most radiant -
In all of Heaven.

The favorite of God -
So you stood -
His dearest daughter
In all of Heaven.

Around you 
All the others -
Angels common
And Archangels.

Among the Archangels
One like you
Who surpassed all others
In all of Heaven.

Superior his strength.
Greater than a score
Of his kind combined
Could command.

Ruggedly handsome
In his regalia of armor.
Faultless features
In his fine face.

An Archangel's mind
With a keen intellect
And a quick wit
Ever entertaining.

This Angel attracted
That Archangel
And together they ambled
Heaven's many meadows.

-----------

All love in Heaven
Is due solely
Unto that One
Who created all.

Supreme He stands
Succoring all adoration
He has endowed
Those within His realm.

Love among others
In the legions lounging
In Heaven's harmony
Was unknown until....

That Angel and
That Archangel
Ambled too close
To Heaven's perimeter.

There Chaos crept
Into God's
Forbidden domain
And His Angels.

Subtle was the shift
Chaos created
Within those Angels -
Now no longer perfect.

What imperfection this?
That they should now
Know of love -
For each other.

-----------

God in time
Began to see
Their new flaw -
The love they shared.

God grew angry!
At the defect
Dealt to His own
By crafty Chaos.

"Archangel!"
God commanded,
"Leave away and
Love not my daughter."

But love's seed sown
Had bloomed stronger
Than even God
Could control.

"Your command -
So unfair is it -
That I cannot obey!"
Called back the Archangel.

Nor would The Angel
Bow to the demands
To the fealty
Her Father dictated.

Heaven's hosts
Seeing the feud
Aligned each
To a side.

And so ensued
The rift of Heaven
That left opposing
Armies of Archangels.

And so ensued
The raging battle
That set
Archangel against Archangel.

Thunderous words
And thoughts
Battered the sea
Of Heaven's battle.

Will struggled
Against will
Each grappling
To crush the other.

God could not lose.
With strength so complete.
Still such strength
Victory sorely tested.

The Angel & Archangel
Were left empty
Of all power
Except their love.

--------

The merciful Victor
Found a Hell
For his unyielding adversary
In darkness deep.

A Hell where he
Would never have
The honor to see
His Angel again.

The Angel agonized
At her Father.
Swore against Him
And His punishment so cruel.

Thus it came to be
That God gave
The Angel 
A sentence severe.

Cast down to earth
Forever to occupy
And bring beauty to the bodies
Of mere mortal women.

And in those women
To experience love
And in time
To lose that love.

-------------

There in lies your secret:
An angel eternal
Repeatedly reborn
In bodies beautiful.

Helen of Troy.
Cleopatra.
And maybe most tragic -
Mary Magdalene.

Many have been
The bodies blessed
By your beauty -
And cursed by it.

--------

Now for the last
Of the secrets
I will give you
To know.

Your Lover -
The Archangel -
Told me of
All these things.

Your Lover -
The Archangel -
Offered me
A gift exquisite.

That gift?
Your love.
For he still has friends
In Heaven.

Beware, he cautioned,
Of this gift's great price:
Eternity afterwards
With him.

His gift I accepted.
For a moment in eternity
With your love
Is infinite.

The love you will soon feel
Is thus a gift to you
From your love forever lost -
Your Archangel.

The End